To Find What is Missing
by RedVoid
Summary: As far as she remembers, Bleach has always been fighting for survival. Until Ging found her, she was always on her own; never at ease. So, when he disappears, Bleach decides to take the Hunter Exam, hoping to find a clue about the Hunter's whereabouts. Instead, she finds his son. Now, Bleach will tag along until she finds Ging to "-kick his ass!" (eventual IllumixOC)
1. A Brief History of the Castere

**Hello there. :)**

**So, as always, I'll say a few words about this story before it begins.**

**This fic's plot has been swimming in my head for a long time now (months actually), but I never posted it before because I didn't want to overload myself with fanfics to write. But, I couldn't help but write the ideaand the first chapter down and, as you know, once you wrote it down, you want people to read it... So I'm posting it. I hope to be able to update this monthly or, at minimun, every other month. It depends on the reception this story will receive.**

**Now, about the story itself. **

**As per usual with my stories, this fanfic is OC-centric (I swear, one day I'll post something OC-free!). It tells a story of girl that showed up in Meteor City at a young age with no memory of who she was or where she came from. **

**Pairings will include: NonCon OCxOC, one-sided OcxGing (poor Ging gets to be stalked...), some OCxOC and, eventually, the main pairing: a very disfunctional and emontionally unhealthy (and somewhat NonCon at the begining) OCxIllumi.**

**Also, this is rated M for a reason. Warnings: bad language, strong references of eugenics, slavery, genocide, mentions of torture, mentions of rape of minors, alcohol abuse by minors, prostitution of minors, psychological torture and... actually, I think that's enough. **

**Yes, this story has some quite heavy stuff on the begining, but, it lightens up when it gets to the cannon time-line. **

**Now, about this first chapter: it isn't reaaaally the first chapter. This is a prologue that will tell you the story of the protagonist's family: the Castere. :) **

**Disclaimer (valid for all chapters): I don't own HunterxHunter or its characters or Nen. I only own the plot and the Ocs.**

**Still, I hope you like this chapter! =)**

* * *

A long time ago, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, a Family reigned absolute.

Each and all soul that lived nearby had to pay tributes to the Family. Crops and animals, gold and handicrafts, sons and daughters… Whatever the Family demanded, the Family received.

That was all thanks to the Family's power: the power to summon 7 entities or guardians or monsters or angels or demons… the summoned creatures were known by all of these names.

It does not matter how you call them. Names do not matter. The only thing that matters is power, and that they had to spare.

Every generation, a child with rainbow eyes was born. The chosen one, if you will; the one who could summon the Family's guardians. This child was the Family's treasure and, as such, was kept locked inside the Palace's walls, forbidden to see anything besides its luscious gardens and forbidden to be seen by anyone that did not belong to the Family. Not even the servants that worked in the Palace as much as glimpsed the chosen ones.

Many a time, the people subjugated by the Family believed the demons to be gone because of the isolation of the chosen ones. Because of that, many a time, these servants, for there was no better name for them, revolted against the Family.

* * *

"It has been 15 years since we last saw those demons…"

"Thank the gods for that. I hope we never need to see them again."

"Idiot! Don't you see? The demons are gone! It's our time to attack!"

Naïve fools…

* * *

14 times the servants rebelled against the Family. 14 times they were massacred. To this day, their skulls and bones ornament the Palace's walls and gardens.

Only after watching their friends and family be slaughtered 14 times, only after paying this blood price, did the servants accept in their hearts that the demons would never leave the Family. The guardians were bound to serve the Family, just as much as they were.

And so, the servants resigned themselves to serve the Family without question, masquerading hate and desire for revenge in cold and complete submission. A cruel status quo was achieved.

Until Aon was born. A pretty boy, with rainbow eyes.

Aon had always been a morbid child. Obsessed with the idea of death since he was three, Aon did not let a day go by without watching something die. First, he had to contempt himself to pluck insects legs out of their bodies, one by one. Then, when he was big enough, he turned his eyes to the Palace's pets. Then, when he understood the power he had, his eyes settled on the Palace's servants.

Of course, the Family denied Aon nothing, for he was their treasure, their warrior and protector. Never had the Family demanded for so many living tributes from the servants. The hate of the servants knew no boundaries at that time, but their fear was still too great.

But then, Aon's rainbow eyes turned to the Family itself. To his grandfathers and grandmothers, uncles and aunts, cousins, brothers and sisters, mother and father.

That, the Family could not allow. For the good of the Family, Aon had to be killed.

But, no one was as strong as the chosen one's guardians and they were always by their master's side. No one could even get close to Aon. No one but Mirabelle, his eldest sister, the only person in the world Aon loved wholeheartedly, the only person he would never harm, the only person he trusted.

She was perfect.

* * *

"Poison through a kiss… Such a romantic but sad ending you gave him, Mirabelle."

"Anything for the Family."

* * *

Aon's madness was taken as a warning: no one should be allowed to have all of the powers the angels had to offer. To concentrate so much power in just one person… it left the Family completely at his mercy. And who could assure that no future chosen one would be as mad as Aon?

No one.

To avoid any other incidents, the next chosen one was forced to seal his guardians in 7 different kinds of instruments: a mirror, two chackrams, a necklace's crown-shaped pendant, a scythe, a bow, two bracelets and a staff.

These instruments were locked inside a Sealed Room in the Palace's basement that prevented the chosen one from summoning the weapons at his will. From then on, the chosen one could only use three instruments, chosen by the Family's elders, at a time.

Only the Family's elders knew how to undo the seal and open the door to take the instruments out of the room and allow they, and they alone, to be summoned according to the chosen one's will. As an extra-security measure, two people were required to undo the seal and only one could walk in the room; the other should wait at the door to keep it from closing and the seal from redoing itself.

The entities were not happy with this decision.

* * *

"HOW COULD THEM?! AFTER ALL WE'VE DONE FOR THEM, THEY WILL LOCK US AWAY?!"

"Outrageous."

"Unc Un?"

"It was to be expected, after what little Aon did."

"It'z ztill no ezcuze."

"Indeed it is not. So many years of loyal service should not be erased by one, single mistake. One mistake that was not even ours. But, worry not, my friends, it will come the day for us to take our revenge."

"Don't say such things, dumbass! We should not be plotting revenge as if we were heartbroken lovers! We should be ready to forgive them! They are just stupid humans after all; they are bound to make mistakes."

* * *

A few years, it was all it took the chosen one to learn how to use his guardians' powers in that material form. There was resentment inside most of the guardians' hearts, but their powers were still controlled by the chosen one.

All but one: the power of Iadbo, the Guardian of Shadows.

Iadbo was the guardian with the greatest power to kill. Also, he was the guardian that loved the Family the most and, therefore, the one that was hurt the most by the Family's decision of sealing them away in simple instruments. The betrayal this guardian felt at being casted aside like that, at being reduced from a member of the Family to a simple possession, was indescribable. The love he once felt towards the Family became hate, and the desire to protect became the desire to kill. The murderous intent was so great that no chosen one could wield his weapon and no normal Family members could get close to it without falling sick.

As a result, Iadbo's instrument was permanently locked away inside the Sealed Room. It was a good measure to keep Iadbo's murderous intent away from sickening the Family's members. It was even better to deepen Iadbo's hate towards them.

It is worth to mention: all of the Palace's servants were killed at the time. It would be disastrous for the Family if the information about the guardians' sealment leaked to the outside servants. They could not find out about that. At least, not until the new chosen one had complete control over the instruments.

After all the weapons, with the exception of Iadbo's, were completely mastered, the Family allowed the information about the guardians being sealed away to "leak". As predicted, the servants were quick in believing that the Family was now defenseless.

It had been too long since the last massacre. The servants needed to be reminded of just how powerful the Family truly was.

Decades later, something unprecedented happened: two children with rainbow eyes were born: the twins Regal III and Syrea. It was the first and only case in which two relatives, twins or not, had the power.

Now, all of the six weapons could be used without overpowering just one person: three for each twin. And, if one of the brothers went mad, the other could stop him. It was just wonderful! Nothing could go wrong!

But, as it usually happens when humans are involved, perfection turned into chaos.

Since Aon, Regal and Syrea were the first ones to truly befriend all of their guardians. They understood the angels' wrath and wanted to put an end to it. They wanted to right their predecessors' mistake; they wanted to set their angels free once again.

And so, the twins investigated how to undo the seals of their weapons and the one of the Sealed Room.

* * *

"We'll release Iadbo first. After all we've done to him, he deserves it."

Romantic fools…

* * *

On the darkest hour of a stormy night, the twins made their way to the Sealed Room. Regal walked in there and summoned his weapons. From his place at the door, Syrea did the same.

After all of the instruments were there, Regal turned to Iadbo's scythe and released the Guardian of Shadows.

Without batting an eye, Iadbo killed Regal and Syrea. Then, he unsealed his fellow entities.

"My friends, I told that our chance to revenge ourselves would come, did I not? Well, rejoice! Here it is!"

The guardians said nothing, they just stared at Regal and Syrea's - their only friends in decades of imprisonment – bodies.

"Why so silent, my friends? Do not tell me you grief for these two boys. Well, no matter then, I shall acquire revenge for all of us by myself. Worry not, I will tell our _Family_ that you all sent your regards."

Syrea's body had stood in the doorway, preventing the door from closing and being sealed again and allowing Iadbo to pass.

In seconds, terrified screams could be heard through the whole Palace. Those screams continued for long, cruel minutes, until the other entities broke out of their stupor and, in a fit of rage for the murder of the twins, defeated Iadbo and sealed him back in his instrument.

"I will never forget this, my friends! I will NEVER FORGIVE this! Mark my words: you WILL regret betraying me!"

* * *

And they regretted it all too soon; the Family did not discriminate in delivering punishment to their angels. As soon as Iadbo was defeated and sealed back in his weapon, the other guardians were returned to their own as well. And, all of them were locked away in the Sealed Room forever.

All but one: Namid, the Guardian of Cure.

Namid's power was far too inoffensive to pose a threat and far too useful to be discarded. This guardian, which was sealed in the crown-shaped pendant, was passed down from chosen one to chosen one.

Unlike most of the other guardians, Namid never cared much for the Family; she cared for the chosen ones. And it was not her beloved chosen ones that sealed her away in that ridiculous, indigo-colored necklace, so there was no reason for her to feel betrayed. Namid was ready to serve her beloved chosen ones as they saw fit.

Once again, the Family killed of the Palace's servants so the information about the guardians' new catastrophe did not leave the Palace.

But that was not enough to ensure the Family's safety.

* * *

"We cannot remain as defenseless as we are now! We need new guardians."

"New guardians? What do you suggest? Oh, I know! Why do we not travel to their dimension and explain that the big seven that served us did not behave so we sealed them away. I am sure we will receive new guardians then!"

"Idiot! That was not what I meant. I want us to find ourselves human guardians."

"Bring outsiders in the Palace… Ridiculous."

"You want people defending us? Against all of those insects?"

"Have you gone mad?! We would have to find an army to fight of those rabid dogs that surround our Palace."

"We are not the only ones in the world with special powers. A few… No, ONE person, strong and very skillful, will be enough."

"It still will be an outsider. I say we leave things as they are. The rats have no knowledge about our current situation; they will not dare to attack us. The 15 Massacres were not for nothing."

"The 15 Massacres will not keep us safe forever! For how long do you think they will keep those dogs at bay? If they were smart enough to learn their lesson, they would have learned it with the first one!"

"He is right. It is better to hire a guardian than trust our luck alone; we need some sort of protection."

"And who exactly do you suggest we hire? A Hunter?"

"Not all Hunters are as skilled as they claim to be. We need an assassin, a master in killing from the shadows, without being noticed."

"Yes! This way we can discard the revolting rats silently. They will never find out we lost our guardians!"

"Those dogs walk in packs and you know it! Who in the world is so skillful as to erase one of them without the others spotting him?"

"You know who."

"What ar… No, you cannot mean…"

"Yes. Maha Zoldyck."

"And why not? We have the money to pay him for a lifetime!"

* * *

"Maha Zoldyck. We are very pleased to have you here."

"I trust my letter arrived you before I did. You are aware about my price and conditions, correct?"

"They are perfectly acceptable. But, we do wish to extend the contract's duration. May-"

"No. Five years, that is the time limit for my contract. After that, you'll have to find someone else to defend you."

"Very well."

* * *

Find someone else they did. A wandering teenager in a little boy's body, lost and longing for a family. Spurned from his homeland for his slow aging process, the 17 years old child was found during a hunt, on the woods that surrounded the Palace.

His name was Elmsy and his power was Conjuring. And, he was skilled, oh so skilled at it. Elmsy was special; he did not limit himself to the conjuration of one item alone. He could materialize anything he wanted; from cups to scissors to swords to war-hammers to catapults to… himself.

Yes, himself.

In a couple of years, the Family's guardian became two. After a few more years, two became five. After a couple of decades, five became twenty. Twenty strong and skilled guardians that loved the Family irrationally and seemed to be able to live forever.

One more massacre was in order. For the servants to taste the Family's new strength and for the Family to test Elmsy's loyalty.

And so, a new massacre, just like all the others, occurred.

Yes, Elmsy was perfect. He would commit all the atrocities the Family asked of him with a smile on his face.

* * *

"You have done well, Elmsy. We are very proud of you."

"Anything for the Family."

Anything indeed, after all, how could Elmsy deny the Family anything? They were so kind… they accepted him in his ranks promptly, despite his freakish growth and abilities! That meant he was part of the Family now, right? And family did anything for family, no matter the nightmares that came afterwards.

Naïve fool…

* * *

Decades passed. Elmsy's body grew and, with it, his self-confidence. He was a handsome young man now; certainly, if he wished to go somewhere, no one would spurn him as before. He could, no, he _wanted _to know what was behind the Palace's walls. But, even if he left all of his copies behind, the Family would never allow him to leave, no matter if it was just for a few weeks. He would have to do it in secret.

It was selfish of him to leave his family like that… but he wanted to be a little selfish. He wanted so much to know what was out there… And it would only be for a few weeks.

* * *

"Elmsy! Elmsy!"

"Hey, if it is not my rainbow butterfly! How are you doing, sweetheart?"

"You leaving, Elmsy?"

"Wha- W-Who told you that?"

"I gone to you room to play and you not there. But big bags was; full of you clothes!"

"You used our secret passage, right?"

"Y-Yes."

"Arysa! I told you before, that passage is for emergencies only!"

"Sorry! But I wanted to play! And you not answered my question! You leaving me?"

"Of course not, butterfly. I could never leave you."

"But you going away! The bags!"

"Hehehe, sometimes you are too smart for your own good. Now, come here… You know I have not been out of this Palace for many decades, right?"

"Yes."

"I know nothing of the world, and I wish to find out. That is why I will travel around it."

"So you leaving me!"

"Only for a few weeks, butterfly."

"The elders know?"

"N-NO! I mean, they cannot know. You see, they would not like me leaving them, even if just for a while."

"I no like you leaving me! Who play and protect me then?"

"All of my copies will be here to play with you and protect you. There will be 19 of me at your disposal."

"But I like you _you _better! The others have no feelings! They boring!"

"Hahahaha… You are so adorable when you pout like that!"

"No change subject!"

"Okay, Sergeant Rainbow Butterfly! My apologies. But, it will be only for a few weeks; you will not even notice I am not here. Also, you have your cousin Vesyr to play with!"

"Bah! Vesyr is boring."

"Do not say that; he is very fond of you. I even heard rumors that you two may end up marrying in the future."

"What?! No! I want marry you!"

"Hahahahahahaha! Butterfly, you are 4 years old; I am 87. I am too old for you!"

"But Sis Allie said you youth is evers- evelas- ev-"

"Everlasting?"

"Yes! So, when I grow, we can marry!"

"Things do not work like that, butterfly. But, worry not, you have many cousins, brothers and even uncles about your age to choose from. I am sure no one will make you marry Vesyr if that is not your wish."

"What is difference? They all look same! White hair, white skin and black eyes!"

"It is in your blood. I happen to found the Family's white hair and skin very beautiful."

"I like your black hair and tanned skin more… And your eyes! They are green!"

"Yours are rainbow."

"… I hate my eyes."

"Do not say that!"

"But I do! Because them, I no can walk free in the Palace! And I can never leave like you!"

"That is because they are too precious, butterfly. You are the Family's treasure and all treasures must be kept safe, away from the wrong eyes."

"You mean the rats?"

"Exactly."

"… Elmsy, who the rats? Why they the rats?"

"Because that is what they were born to be, butterfly. They are not as good as us, so they must serve quietly."

"So they servants?"

"No, servants are people. They are rats."

"But you said-"

"Arysa, Family is Family and rats are rats, that is all there is to it. Alright?"

"Alright…"

* * *

"Namid, I no understand why servants rats."

_**"That's because you're a dumbass."**_

"I not!"

**_"Yes, you are."_**

"Well, if you so smart, explain!"

_**"… eh… Know what? I have no time for this nonsense. Go bug Elmsy."**_

"Elmsy busy preparing. He leave tomorrow."

* * *

And so, Elmsy left.

Without him in the Palace to provide energy for his copies, three days later, they disappeared.

* * *

"It is a disaster! Where is Elmsy?!"

"No one can find him! He is not in the Palace!"

"We cannot waste any more time. We must kill all the inside rats at once! We cannot allow them to pass this information to the outside!"

* * *

Once again, all of the servants inside the Palace were murdered, but, this time, that did not keep the information from reaching the outside of the walls.

On the next night, a new massacre occurred. But, this time, the Family was on the receiving end.

* * *

**_"-KE UP! WAKE UP!"_**

"Eh…? Namid? It dark yet; why you screaming in my head?"

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Namid! What that?!"

**_"THERE'S NO TIME TO TALK! JUST RUN, DUMBASS!"_**

For once in her life, Arysa did as she was told without questioning her orders. Ignoring all of the screams, the chosen one went to the secret passage in her bedroom that took her straight to Elmsy's. There, the screams were not as loud as in her own room; the servants- no, the free men had passed through that part of the Palace already.

Slowly, the scared girl poked her head outside. Only to find blood, lots of blood, adorning the corridor's walls and floor, and bodies, dead bodies that belonged to her family.

_**"STOP STARING! RUN!"**_

Trying her best to ignore the sight and smell of death around her and the tears that were blurring her vision, Arysa ran away from the Palace's walls and into the forest that surrounded it. When she judged herself safe, the girl fell on all four and threw up, dirtying her hands and knees in the process.

That pitiful figure was found by one of the free men.

Wood axe in hand, the man watched the little girl before him put out all of the contents of her stomach. She was part of the Family, no doubt; her white hair and fine sleeping clothes were proof of that. He should kill her, he knew that, but…

But…

She was just a little girl, scared and alone. And he was no murderer; he was not part of the Family. He could not kill her.

But, he could not just leave her there either; no doubt a wolf would find and kill the girl. He could not take her back to the other free men; that would be like delivering her to death itself. And there was no way he would take care of her himself; he may not be a murderer, but he had not forgotten about all that her family did to his.

There was just one place in the world for the girl. Meteor City, the world's junkyard.

**_We accept everything. So don't take anything back._**

It was perfect. The free man could take the little girl there. Now that there was no Family to force him to stay on that place, he could go wherever he wanted, and all he wanted was to go away. Away from the place where he was forced to work like a slave; away from the place where he watched his friends being whipped for not working enough; away from that place where his whole family was killed. The free man just wanted to leave, so why not to Meteor City?

Wordlessly, the man approached the girl and slammed the blunt side of his axe on the back of her head, making her lose consciousness. He stared at the girl's face, tear-streaked and dirty with earth and her own vomit, before picking her up and walking away.

Maybe this was justice… one of the little princesses that explored him and his family as if they were beasts had lost everything and was on her way to become trash.

The man shook his head. No… Justice did not come from torturing little girls; also, the gods were not good enough to give justice to anyone. This was just life.

Still, if there was some sort of kindness in the gods, not matter how small, the blow he delivered to the little girl's head would make her forget that night, forget the images of her family butchered like the bloodthirsty animals they were.

Little did the man know that his blow would make her forget more than that night; it would make her forget everything about herself.

That night's massacre was the end of the family Castere.

That blow was the death of Arysa Castere.

* * *

Ten days. Ten days lost in the woods and suffering from home-sickness was all it took for Elmsy to run back to the Palace.

When he arrived at the servants' village, a few miles away from his home, he knew something terrible had happened. The atmosphere wasn't nearly as somber as usual; Elmsy dared to say it was happy even.

Elmsy had never ran to anywhere as fast as he ran to the Palace that day.

Only to find death. In the gardens, and in every corridor and room, all there was in the Palace was death. No kids running around; no teenage lovers walking hand in hand; no group of adults smoking and chatting quietly by a window; no elder walking by himself with a disapproving frown on his face. No rainbow butterfly…

"ARYSA!"

Elmsy ran down to the basement. Maybe, just maybe, the elders locked the little girl inside the Sealed Room, where the rats could never reach. She was their treasure after all! They had to protect her!

But no. The Sealed Room was open, with the corpse of one of the elders keeping the door ajar. Inside it, another corpse and the weapons, but not all of them; the chackrams, the mirror and the bow were missing.

Grabbing the corpses, Elmsy let the door slam closed, giving the weapons one last glance over his shoulder; somehow, he almost could _feel_ the entities inside them scream, but he did not know if it was in rage or grief.

Wordlessly, Elmsy materialized his 19 copies - the copies that should have been there to protect his family and his rainbow butterfly - and started cleaning up. He had failed the Family, the least he could do was give them a proper burial.

Then he would join them in the afterlife.

* * *

"I did not find her."

"Me neither."

"She was not there."

"No."

"Sorry."

"Her body was not in my area."

"No signs of her."

"Found her teddy bear on the floor, but not her."

"That is the one she gave Drea; it means nothing since the boy was found already. I did not see her either."

"No luck in my area."

"Nor in mine."

"That makes three of us."

"No butterfly on sight."

"All of mine had black eyes."

"Arysa was not in my area."

"She is not in wing L."

"Her bedroom is empty."

"Sorry, no luck."

"I am the last one to report? No one else found her? Really? Well, then the butterfly has flown away, for I did not find her either."

* * *

With all of the corpses found buried in the backyard and after two throughout searches through the Palace, Elmsy accepted that Arysa would not be found there.

Many possibilities were likely: the rats could have taken her to torture since she was the chosen one; she could have run away and died in the woods for there was no way she could survive the animals that inhabited them; or she could be alive. Elmsy grasped the last option and held onto it with all the hope he had inside of him.

His rainbow butterfly was alive somewhere.

That changed everything. He could not die with his family now; he had to meet her again and make sure she was safe. Only then, he could return to his home and rest in peace.

"Arysa… in the end, you were the one that left me."

* * *

**And that is it for the prologue. ****Hope you enjoyed!**

**Also, if youhave the time, leave me a review telling me what you think. ;)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	2. Getting Away With Murder

**Hello, everyone. :)**

**So... I know I said I'd update once a month or once every other moth but, you know how it is with new stories, right? You just write and write and write. XDXD**

**That's why I'm already posting the second chapter. Let's just hope that this writing frenzy last will last a good while for me to continue these quick updates! ;)**

**A big thank you for those who fav/follow this fic and for ohmyyato and pain1516 for reviewing on the last chapter. It made me very happy to see that some people are already interested in this. :D**

* * *

"YOU LITTLE THIEF! GET BACK HERE!""

"I AIN'T LITTLE, YOU OLD FART!"

"OLD?! JUST WAIT 'TIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"

"GONNA HAVE TO RUN HARDER THAN THAT! I CAN'T BARELY SEE YOUR WRINKLED ASS NO MORE!"

That said, the thief (who was, indeed, very little) sped up, letting the chaser (who was, undoubtedly, an old man) behind, yelling obscenities at the small figure that was running away with a ham-filled baguette in hands.

* * *

Somewhere on the wastes of Meteor City, there was a hut. It was made of pieces of concretes, iron plates and some garbage bags; it was small, strange and dirty, just like its inhabitant. Said inhabitant had waist-length, wavy white hair and wore an originally white tank top that was now of a grayish color, a brown skater short, a white blindfold and holed, over-sized sneakers.

The inhabitant had just arrived at the hut, carrying yet another stolen sandwich. With a satisfied grin, the child sat down in front of the "house" to eat.

"Heh, old man's getting slower by the day." The thief said, parting the baguette in half. Before starting to eat the first half, the kid opened it to examine its contents. "He was selling THIS as a ham sandwich?! There's barely no meat here! What a miser!"

As the kid munched on one of the halves, a few stray, famished dogs approached; some whimpering submissively in an attempt to receive part of the food, others growling in threat to take it.

"Whatcha looking at, huh? This food is mine, you go after your own."

One of the growling dogs decided to try its luck and lunged at the thief. Quickly, the kid dodged and delivered a kick on the stray; the kick sent the dog away, but it lacked the strength to hurt it much. Angry, the kid turned to glare intimidatingly at the other dogs; an useless action, since no one could see the child's eyes due to the withe blindfold that covered them.

"You mutts! I don't wanna hit you, but I ain't sharing my food; I'm hungry too, you k- HEY, YOU SHIT!"

As the thief yelled at the growling dogs – another useless action, since the canines could not understand – one of the submissive ones, a scrawny bitch, grabbed the forgotten half of the sandwich and ran off. Instead of staying to protect and eat the rest of the stolen food, as a smart person would do, the thief ran after the bitch to retrieve the piece that it ran off with.

"HEY! Gimme back! I worked hard to steal that! You fucking bitch!"

The kid chased the bitch to what seemed to be a tunnel made in a mountain of trash. Without a second thought, the child dropped on all fours and started crawling in the hole, not minding the cockroaches that passed by; they were a common sight in the hut as well.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, the kid found a scene that was not expected: three little, scrawny pups were devouring the baguette. The bitch that had stolen the food noticed the child's presence and turned to growl in defense of her pups. Annoyed, the child growled back a deep sound that made all of the hole's inhabitants whimper in fear.

Behind the blindfold, the kid's angry eyes moved from the bitch to the pups to the half-eaten piece of sandwich and back. After redoing the motion a few times, the thief scowled and crawled back and out of the tunnel, complaining and cursing all the while.

* * *

When the thief returned to the hut, the rest of the sandwich had been already eaten by the other dogs. The child let out a sigh before breathing in deeply, then…

"YOU FUCKING MUTTS! MARK MY WORDS, MY NEXT MEAL GONNA BE A HOT DOG! **LITERALLY**!"

* * *

That frustrated and angry scream was loud enough to make the trash-collectors that were around pause their work to chuckle.

"That girl's at it again. Hey, you know, I never asked: what's her name?"

"We call her Bleach."

"Bleach? Why's that?"

"Because she managed t to get here as a big kid – four or five years old, I think - with no memories whatsoever and with no one looking for her. Also, she got white hair. It's like someone dipped her head bleach; past and hair color washed away."

* * *

_Seven years ago..._

The stench was horrible. The heat was unbearable. The ground was hard; her back hurt.

Those were the first thoughts that crossed the white-haired girl's head when she first woke up in Meteor City. Hurting and tired, she spent some minutes just laying there on the ground, trying to organize her thoughts.

Where was she? How did she get here?

She remembered traveling with a man, but not much of it. She slept most part of the day and, on the few hours she was awake, they never really talked; she would eat and drink something and, next thing she knew, she would get dizzy and faint.

Slowly, the four-years-old sat up and looked around. Only mountains of junk and flying insects met her eyes; the man was nowhere in sight.

So, she was on her own now. But…

Who was she?

Besides the images about the short time she spent with that unknown man, she remembered nothing, not even her name. She had asked the man, no doubt, but he coldly ignored her queries.

Soon, the girl started to cry loudly and shamelessly, just like the lost and scared little kid she was.

From far away, footsteps started to approach her.

Almost immediately, the girl ceased her wailing and made to run towards the sound; being alone like that scared her so much that anyone was someone to cling to in the girl's eyes. But, before she could take a step, a voice, seemingly coming out of nowhere, stopped her.

'_**Don't let they see your eyes, dumbass. Hide them, always. Or they will kill you. They want to kill the chosen one.'**_

"W-Who said that?" The girl asked in a small voice but only silence answered her.

More than anything, the voice scared the girl, but, it was strangely familiar and the first words she had heard in God-knows-how-long. Instinctively, she trusted the voice's words and chased the ground for something to hide her eyes with. Close to her feet, there was a strap of white, cotton linen cloth. It would do.

Quickly, the child grabbed the cloth and tied around her head tightly enough to stretch well the fabric and allow her to see through it relatively well. The cloth was so thin that it was not that hard.

A blindfold that did not blind… the notion was ridiculous even to her. But it was enough to hide rainbow eyes from the black-haired boy with a cross on his forehead that was approaching her.

* * *

Bleach's eyes opened in a hasty motion. She took a moment to examine her surroundings and understand that it was all just a dream - a distant memory, nothing more – and that now she was sleeping inside her little hut. Unconsciously, she reached for the blindfold on her eyes; it was bothersome and stuffy.

'_Don't let they see your eyes, dumbass. Hide them, always. Or they will kill you. They want to kill the chosen one.'_

Seven years had passed since that day and that white blindfold remained on. The voice, on the other hand, she never heard again. It annoyed her; she had things to ask that voice: What exactly was that talk of 'chosen one' anyway? What was she chosen for? Queen of cockroaches?

Undoubtedly, it was something regarding who she was in the past, before she came to Meteor City. And, the only thing she had from that time was an ugly-as-fuck indigo necklace that she kept around her neck, hidden beneath her dirty and oversized white tank top.

Wordlessly, Bleach crawled out of her hut and made her way up to the top of a specific mountain of trash near her, where there was a beaten mattress laid down. She knew she would not be able to go back to sleep, so she might as well do something productive… like star-gazing? Yeah.

Bleach laid down on the mattress and was about to take off the blindfold to watch the stars better when someone cleared his throat behind her. The girl jumped a foot into the air before turning to glare at the person. She was not surprised to find none other than Kuroro Lucifer standing behind her with an amused smile on his lips.

"Damn it, Kuroro! Stop scaring me like that, asshole!"

"After seven years, one would think you that your perception skills would improve enough so wouldn't get scared anymore. Really, I expected more from the youngest thief of Meteor City."

"Don't you use that condescending tone on me, you prick. You know how much I hate it." Bleach spat. "And my perception skills did improve, thank you very much! Just not as much as your stealth ones... And that's to be expected, you know. You're much older than me; you have more experience."

"That is no excuse."

"Yes, it's, you asshole!"

Instead of engaging the child in an 'It is. It is not.' argument, which, he was sure, she would win - after all, a 11-years-old has much more patience and stubbornness for such games than a 17-years-old -, Kuroro changed the subject of the conversation.

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

"Sorry, mommy, I just couldn't sleep." Bleach replied in a honeyed and soft voice that, in all honesty, gave Kuroro the creeps.

"You sound like a psychopath when you talk like that."

"Then we're at the same level."

"I'm a sociopath. There is a difference."

"Whatever. And what are you doing here, anyway? Don't have bricks to play dodge ball with no more?" Bleach taunted with a smirk.

"May I remind that you enjoyed playing as well?" Kuroro replied, enjoying the way the child's cheeks got red in embarrassment.

"No, you may not. And you didn't answer my fucking question."

"I knew you'd be awake. I came here to invite you to be part of something."

"What something exactly?"

"I'll explain it in three days, when everyone is gathered to hear."

"Who's everyone?"

"You, Feitan, Phinks, Machi, Nobunaga, Shalnark, P

akunoda, Franklin and Ubogin."

"Shal, Nobu and Ubo are joining too? That's cool!" Bleach exclaimed enthusiastically before allowing a frown to make its way to her lips. "Can't say the same for Feitan and Phinks, though. Those guys give me the creeps."

"Just talk to them with that little voice from before. Believe me; they will be more scared of you than you of them." Kuroro spoke good-naturally, receiving a light punch on the shoulder in retaliation. "Anyway, can I count with your presence, Miss Psychopath?"

"I guess so, Miss Sociopath. I've got nothing else to do, anyway."

"The correct title would be _Mister _Sociopath."

"That's open to discussion."

* * *

Left alone, Bleach took off her blindfold (finally! It was getting too stuffy) to gaze at the stars and ponder over Kuroro's words.

She was quite… excited with whatever Kuroro was planning. Since there were quite a number of people he intended to call, it was obvious that he intended to form some sort of group. Granted, the girl did prefer to do things on her own, but she was curious to know what in the world did Kuroro need them for. It was no secret that the man was one of the strongest - if not _the_strongest - of Meteor City; if he needed help, it was because he was planning something big and Bleach wanted to know what was it.

"Who knows, I may even get away from this junk."

The little girl guessed right: she would depart from Meteor City, sooner rather than later. What she didn't know was that it would not be with Kuroro's group.

* * *

On the day before the gathering, things went wrong for Bleach. Very, very wrong.

As usual, the girl went to the town to steal her breakfast. Watching the small and very scarce food stores from the shadows, Bleach decided on the one that belonged to the old man. She liked stealing from him; he had the funniest reactions.

She waited patiently for a large man, who was wearing a fine, black suit and a gold wristwatch, to walk close to her; from his trajectory, she could foresee he would enter her targeted store. It crossed her mind that he was not from there but she dismissed the thought quickly, deeming it unimportant at the moment.

With footsteps that emitted no sound whatsoever and willing her presence to fade away (she didn't know why, but it worked) she started to shadow the man, keeping herself out of his and of the owner's sight.

As predicted, he walked into the store.

Careful not to be seen and not to make a sound, Bleach grabbed a bunch of bananas and a bottle of water from the perpetually lacking in produce store. The girl didn't like that fruit much, but it couldn't be helped; that was what the store and the situation had to offer her at that moment. Not wasting her chance, Bleach took the opportunity to take the suited man's watch from his wrist. He didn't even feel it.

After said man had chosen his product, the girl parted ways with him and hid behind an empty shelve that, was the town a little less poor, would be displaying products for the store's customers. When both the suited man and the store-owner were busy with the purchase, Bleach made her way out of the store.

Calmly eating the stolen bananas and drinking her water, the girl tucked the watch in her shorts' front pocket and made her way back 'home'.

She didn't notice that there were two men watching her little theft from across the street. They were dressed as common people from Meteor City, but their watches were golden as well.

Wordlessly, they went after her.

* * *

It didn't take long for Bleach to notice she was being followed. It was three men: her suited victim and two others wearing regular clothes.

So, the girl took her time on her way back, making unnecessary turns, walking in circles and stopping to greet the people she knew. She knew that walking wasn't much of an obstacle for her stalkers, but the heat they were being exposed to was. She could tell they were outsiders, not used to the heat; they would start to feel its effects soon enough.

Arriving at Meteor City at a relatively advanced age, Bleach knew that the scalding sun was the worst about the place; dehydration, nasty sunburns and daily dizziness were common occurrences on her first months in the city. Yes, it took time for one to get accustomed to the city's temperature and dry air, so, without the adequate measures, it was quick for one to dehydrate in Meteor City. Bleach had just drank a bottle of water; her stalkers hadn't.

After walking around a lot, Bleach made a sharp turn in an alleyway that was so narrow that only a small kid like her could fit in it. She heard loud cursing and grunting and just knew she had let the outsiders behind. Still quickly, the thief ran to one of the many abandoned buildings around Meteor City. She would not risk going back to her hut; many people knew where she lived and could have informed the men pursuing her. Instead, she decided it would be better to spend the rest of the day and the night, until Kuroro's gathering, hiding.

The building she chose was three stores high and falling to pieces, full of dust, spider-webs and broken windows. On the building's second floor, she moved a wood plate that was laying on one of the walls, revealing a hole in which an adult could fit. She had found it a couple of years before, when running away from some of the bigger thieves around the city; it was her perfect hiding place.

But, before Bleach could enter the hole, she froze. There was a sinister presence coming from behind her that chilled the girl to the bone, just as Feitan and Phinks did when they lost their temper. Slowly, she turned around to see where it came from and came face-to-face with yet another suit-wearing outsider. It was a blonde woman, looking at her with a predatory smile.

"What do you want with me?" Bleach asked after some moments of tense silent. "If this is about the watch, you can have it back. I don't need this shit anyway." The little girl took said object from her pocket and raised it to the woman.

"We couldn't care less about a watch. But, your abilities… The Mafia likes them. We want you to come and work with us. The payment is good and you get to leave this hell-hole. What do you say?"

"That does sound tempting, you know. But, the thing is, I really don't like people ordering me around. So no."

With that, the woman disappeared in a flash.

"You don't really have a choice." Bleach heard from behind her.

Bleach's eyes widened. _Oh, fuck._

Before the little girl could turn around, everything went black.

* * *

When Bleach woke up, she was still in that same old building. In fact, she was exactly on the same spot on which she was knocked out; the only difference was that her feet and hands were tied. The blonde woman was standing right in front of her, talking on the cellphone. Fortunately, her presence did not give off that sinister feeling anymore.

"I got Snowflake with me. What about the others? Good. Did they go willing? Good for you. Yes. No, it was easy. Hm. Understood."

With that, the woman closed her phone, put it in a hidden pocked on the inside of her suit and turned to the blindfolded child laying on the floor.

Bleach gave the woman a bitter smile. "Snowflake? What a shitty codename you gave me. Couldn't it be something more badass?"

"Like what? Milk? Sugar? Blindy? Look at yourself, kid; you're anything but badass."

"If that was true, you wouldn't be kidnapping me to be a dog to the Mafia, _Barbie_."

That made the woman smile in half-amusement, half-annoyance.

"I like the way you think, Snowflake. You got my attention."

"I know that already, Barbie. If I hadn't had the bad luck of doing so, I wouldn't be here in the first place. You're truly a natural blonde, ain't you?"

That made the blonde's aura turn dark again, making Bleach shut her mouth and tense in fear.

"I would watch my words if I were you."

"Yes, ma'am."

"My, aren't you quick to swallow your pride?" The blonde spoke, masquerading her dark aura again.

"It ain't hard. There ain't much left." The little girl grumbled.

"Hahaha! I guess living in this junk doesn't allow people to keep their pride intact, huh? What happened? Had to beg for food before you were capable of stealing it?"

Bleach gritted her teeth in anger, resisting a very strong urge to tell the woman to go fuck herself. She hated to be reminded of her first weeks in Meteor City; how she had depended of the kindness of other people (which was barely enough to keep her alive) to survive.

"Well, I'm certain that you have many interesting stories to tell me about how you survived in Meteor City, but, unfortunately, we'll have to postpone them-"

"Who said I'd tell you shit, anyway?"

"-because our car is here. Rejoice, Snowflake, today you're leaving this hellhole. For good."

Bleach said nothing to the blonde, but her mouth did curl in a satisfied smile. Chained to Mafia or not, she was leaving Meteor City and that was reason enough to be happy. It would not be as easy and painless as it would have been if she left with Kuroro, but she would find a way to get rid of the Mafia and be on her own. It would only take a few days, she was sure.

* * *

Bleach spent three years with the Mafia and it was not easy, much less painless.

In the first two months, Bleach tried to escape from them 10 times. And she would have succeeded in all of the ten times, had it not been for the blonde woman – people called her Nair – and her partner on (and off) the field: a bald, dark-skinned man codenamed Noir. Each failure earned her a flogging and a day in the solitaire. Lucky for the girl, her wounds healed unusually fast, leaving its marks on her back, ugly but painless.

"Ten is the limit, Snowflake. Next time, we kill you."

* * *

There was no next time; Bleach hated to be bossed around, but she feared more the idea of dying. From that threat on, the girl behaved as a good pawn for the Mafia, obeying without complaints.

It was not that bad; as long as she succeeded in her jobs, they allowed her to be on her own during them, doing things her way. And Bleach succeeded each and every time; never before had the Mafia got their hands on so many documents, jewels and other valuables as they did with the white-haired girl working for them. Of course, Nair or Noir would never be too far from the girl, always watching to make sure she would not run away and to protect her in case something went wrong.

Bleach's successes allowed her to enjoy a nice income that allowed her to buy whatever she needed. The first items she acquired: new clothes and shoes to replace the rags she wore in Meteor City, and brown-colored contact lenses to replace her blindfold. Now, Bleach wore dark blue skinny jeans with black combat boots over it, a grey T-shirt and a black hoodie to hide her now shoulder-length wavy white hair.

Unfortunately for the Mafia, that monetary perk of working to them didn't do a thing in lessening her desire to break free, but it did stimulate the girl to keep doing a good job. Nothing ever went wrong with Bleach.

Until she was sent on a special job with another of the Mafia's special bodyguards. The man was called Cressar. He was a short and lanky brunette; and his smile made bile rise in Bleach's throat.

She would have to go with said man to York Shin City, on the other side of the country, to steal an item that had caught her boss' interest: a ruby necklace that had belonged to the family of the Supreme Leader of the Republic of East Gorteau. It was in York Shin City to be sold at one of the black market's auctions. Its estimated price? 5 billion jenny.

The pair would take half of a day to arrive at Yorkshin City. There, they would have five days to steal the necklace before it reached the auctions' safe. After the item was secured, they were to text the message _'The night is beautiful. The moon is red.' _to Nairand move to a yellow, abandoned storehouse on the outskirts of the city. An experienced smuggler would meet them there a week later to transport the necklace to the headquarters. With all of that completed, Bleach and Cressar would return to the headquarters.

Overall; it was a good job, challenging and rewarding, but Bleach didn't like having to do it with Cressar. The idea of being alone with him made the 14-years-old girl shiver in disgust.

And she was right to feel this way. Sometimes, bad things happen to a girl when she is all alone with a man.

* * *

"STOP, CRESSAR! I DON'T WANT THIS!"

The man punched the girl's face. Hard. "Why should that concern me?"

"I'LL TELL THE BOSS!"

"Do you think he cares? As long as I get you to do your job, it doesn't matter what I do to you." As if to prove his point, Cressar gave the girl another punch.

Bleach's eyes watered as she realized something: he was absolutely right.

"Please, Cressar, I'm begging you! Leave me alone! Let's make a deal: until the end of this job, I-I'll pay you a whore each night! No matter who or how many you want, I'll treat you! S-So, please, just let me go…"

"A tempting offer indeed… Too bad for you that whores don't interest me. But, please, don't let that piece of information stop you from begging! I just love it!"

* * *

And so, Bleach endured Cressar's… advances.

She had no choice; the man was stronger than she was, and he had that strange aura-thing that made her blood run cold and fear grow inside her like an infection. She didn't have the courage to fight back seriously or run away while he was around.

But, what Bleach lacked in courage she made up in cunning.

The girl realized that what Cressar craved was not sex, but rape. What he truly enjoyed was the power he had over her. He liked to dominate, pure and simply. And Bleach was quick to make him believe that he had broken her; that, after the first two nights, he had complete dominion over her body and mind.

Honestly, Cressar was no strange to how rape effects a girl, so he should have known that it was all an act, that a girl as stubborn and independent as Bleach would never let herself be broken so easily. But, her whimpers... her ashamed movements of resignation to him… and her eyes! Full of tears and humiliation! Oh, that made him lose himself to the girl beneath him and let all reason be washed away by raw lust.

Then, exhausted and satisfied, he would let himself fall in a deep sleep. Right beside a girl that wanted nothing more than to run away from everything and that had nothing to lose.

Really, he should have known better.

* * *

After four of the five days they had, Bleach and Cressar decided it was time to act. The necklace's owner would throw a private party to show off his prized possession before its auction. Cressar was a charismatic man, so he had no problems in finding a way to get him and Bleach invited to said party.

Once there, it would be simple. Cressar would make a scene and get everyone's attention, while Bleach "accidentally" bumped on whoever was carrying the necklace, making the jewelry fall on the floor. Apologizing and willing to fix her mistake, Bleach would kneel down and retrieve the necklace while most of the eyes were still fixed on Cressar. It wouldn't take a split of a second for Bleach to swap the 5 billion jenny necklace for a 500 jenny copy.

It was a very simple.

It worked perfectly.

* * *

"Did you get it, Snowflake?"

"Of course. Here." Bleach retrieved the 5 billion jenny necklace from a hidden pocket in her sleeve.

"Now, that's a beauty! Well, let's get going then. This deserves a celebration." The man hugged the girl from behind and bit her neck hard enough to draw blood. "We'll rock that storehouse tonight."

* * *

Indeed, Cressar had been specially… enthusiastic that night. That meant more bruises on Bleach's body and an even deeper sleep for Cressar.

Without a sound whatsoever, Bleach raised her naked body from the beat-down mattress they were using as a bed in that storehouse and grabbed Cressar's backpack, from which, she retrieved a sharp knife that she betted would be able to cut bone.

It was an excess, really. It was enough to be able to cut through flesh.

As silently as she walked away from the mattress, Bleach walked back to it and kneeled over its sleeping occupant. The girl hovered the man for a moment, feeling her hate and disgust grow inside her.

Feeling her hand tremble in anticipation, Bleach raised the knife over her head.

Cressar opened his eyes in alert.

But it was too late. Before the man could do anything, the knife descended into his throat, making blood spurt from it and paint Bleach's face and hair red.

Had the girl been in a more rational state, she would've wondered what woke Cressar up... She had been completely silent and she knew there was just no way the man had felt her moving close to him; she was too good for that. There had been something that alerted Cressar of Bleach's killing intent, and it was not physical. Still, she thought nothing about that and just watched the man's body spasm beneath her.

After the body stopped trembling, Bleach allowed herself to relax for the first time since… ever. Feeling tears stroke down her eyes, Bleach watched Cressar's bloodied face, frozen in a silent scream of agony. It was enough to make her vomit.

Wordlessly, the girl cleaned her mouth with the back of her right hand and stood up from the bed once again. There was a shower in the storehouse. She had no doubt the water was ice-cold but that meant nothing to her; Bleach would bathe in a tub full of the substance after which she was named, if that meant she would be clean from the mix of bodily fluids that were covering all of her body and face.

* * *

When Bleach deemed herself clean enough, she walked back to the 'room' where Cressar's corpse laid. Without sparing it a second glance, Bleach walked to her backpack and retrieved a change of clothes: black pants, a white T-shirt, a dark purple hoodie and black and white sneakers.

After putting the clothes on, the girl walked to Cressar's backpack to search for his phone. She had to message Nair. If she didn't, the Mafia would hunt her down as a starved dog hunts down a piece of meat.

_'The night is beautiful. The moon is red.' _

Send.

There. Now she had a week to disappear from the country before anyone came looking for her. If she wasn't out by then… well, let's just say the Mafia's influence on the country was immense; in intensity and area. They would find her and the punishment would be much worse than a flagging and a day in the solitary.

Bleach didn't even bother to set up the place as if she and Cressar had been ambushed. The people are the Mafia after all; they have too much experience in faking murder scenes to be fooled by her.

As she walked towards the building's exit, Bleach's eyes settled on the ruby necklace's velvet box. If she took that with her, she would have enough money to live the rest of her life as a millionaire. But, that also meant that the Mafia would spare no resources to find her; she could go to the end of the world and they would go after her.

With a resigned sigh, Bleach turned her eyes away and walked out of the building.

It was over. She was free again

* * *

**Reviews are very cherished! Also, they feed that writing force I call my Writing Muse. XDXD**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)**

**Kisses, ****RedVoid**

**PS: My OC's name ****truly is a reference to the cleaning product I use to whiten my old and white T-shirts that aren't that white anymore. ****It ****has absolutely nothing to do with the anime Bleach. Though it would be much cooler if it had... XP**


	3. Ging

**Guest: Actually, this story isn't heavily loaded with OCs. Don't take those pairings I put there so seriously; most of them are secondary to the plot and will just pop in and pop out. For instance: the NonCon OCxOC is about what happened between Cressar and Bleach, and that's it. **

**The main pairing will be IllumixBleach, but it will take a while yet. After all, this is Illumi we're talking about; writing a believable relationship involving him demands a somewhat slow development.**

**But, indeed, my AN about the pairings wasn't very clear. Sorry about that... =.= ****Well, I hope this clarified my mistake. **

**Now, on with the story. :)**

* * *

_With a resigned sigh, Bleach turned her eyes away and walked out of the building._

_It was over. She was free again_

* * *

Freedom, Bleach found, was not what she had expected.

To keep herself away from the Mafia's reach, Bleach ran away south, to one of the poorest countries of the continent. There, she lived in a similar way she had lived in Meteor City: stealing.

There were some differences though. While in Meteor City she stole just what she needed to survive (everyone had problems to make it through the day; stealing more than enough was like breaking an unspoken law), in her new "home" she stole what she needed and what she _wanted. _Also, she didn't live in an improvised hut anymore and started to rent a motel room. There were two single beds, a small refrigerator that barely worked and a bathroom with a toilet seat, a sink and a shower that only provided cold water. Overall, it was a small, run-down and poorly furnished place, but it was better than to sleep on the streets.

Also, it was the better Bleach could afford; her profit with thieving had improved quite a lot from her times in Meteor City, but the town had only so much to offer the girl.

Not to mention that the girl's expenses had greatly increased since Meteor City. After all, in there, she didn't care for alcohol. After Cressar, she did. Very much so.

Because of that thirst, it was not rare for Bleach to spend more money than she earned in her thefts. When that happened, the girl had to cover the extra expenses using her body in a… different way. And so, she exchanged her simple clothes for a ridiculously tight and short skirt and a low cut T-shirt that left little to imagination.

She hated having to sell herself like that, but, after Cressar, it didn't matter anymore for the girl. She believed that, since he had ruined sex for her anyway, at the very least, she could make some profit with it.

Prostitution and thieving were very dangerous lines of work by themselves. Together, they put Bleach in more trouble than she cared to remember. Really, Bleach lost count of how many times her 'customers' got her drunk enough so they could be as rough as they wanted with her. When compared to these men, Cressar had been gentle and loving.

Good thing she had alcohol to help her forget.

* * *

Two years later, when Bleach was sixteen, something big happened on the outskirts of the town. It seemed that, while digging the foundations of a mine, some remains of ancient civilizations were found. As a result, many archeologists, historicists , engineers, excavation specialists, Hunters and even regular tourists started to flow in the town.

That was wonderful for Bleach; she never had made so much money with thieving as she did during that time.

That is, until she, unknowingly, picked a Hunter as her target.

* * *

Bleach spotted her first target for the day as soon as she walked out of her hotel. The man was tanned and had green-black hair; also, he was practically begging to be robbed. Really, he had everything: expensive sunglasses and watch, a last generation photographic camera around his neck, designers' clothes and a fat wallet that was almost jumping from the back pocket of his pants. All that was missing was a big 'ROB ME' neon sign over his head.

Bleach wasted no time and began stalking him.

The man walked in circles for the better part of an hour. Bleach was expecting that, since tourists were usually lost. What she didn't expect was the man's incredible luck; whenever the girl saw an opportunity to get close enough and simply pull his wallet out, something would caught his eye and he'd hastily change directions, leaving a very annoyed Bleach scurrying away from his line of sight and taking deep breaths to calm down.

The thief was starting to get irritated with that guy. He was supposed to be an easy and rewarding target; a winning lottery ticket! Instead, she had spent more than an hour following him and nothing. She was hungry and needing a drink. Badly.

Annoyed and feeling a headache starting to come, Bleach didn't think much when she noticed her target stop walking in circles and start to make his way to the outskirts of the town. The thief did fall back some steps as the number of people surrounding them decreased, but not once it came to her mind that the man had a trap waiting for her and that it would be best to give up that job.

Well, to be fair, the thought did came to her mind. But only when the man stopped walking, past the city borders, and they were the only people in a miles radius. The place was surrounded by some tents, wooden boxes and trucks; it was one of the camps occupied by the people involved in the archeological excavations.

Bleach was hiding behind one of the boxes and was about to turn back and head to the first bar she could find but…

"You can stop hiding now." The man spoke, scanning his surroundings with attentive eyes. "Come forward. I have a proposition for you."

Bleach tensed up immediately. It was the first time someone had ever noticed her presence. Not knowing what to do, the girl kept silent and willed herself to disappear even more; she didn't allow her breathing to become eradicate and she didn't allow her heart to speed up.

"Really, I just want to talk." The man tried again. When silence answered him once more, he let out an exasperated sigh and pulled his wallet out. "This is what you're after, right? If you come talk to me, I'll give to you."

Bleach didn't trust the man one bit, so she kept herself hidden.

"You make a move and I'll find you. I have all of the time in the world to wait."

He had a point.

"Fine." Bleach spoke as she approached the man.

"Good. My name is-"

Bleach interrupted the man by stretching her hand.

"Wallet first."

After Bleach received the wallet, they both walked to the nearest bar to talk. There was no way she would spend another second alone in that stranger's company.

Also, she **needed** a drink.

* * *

"Hey, Bleach!" One of the place's waitresses greeted as Bleach and the man sat at an isolated table.

"What's up, Maria?"

"Same old, same old. So, what can I bring you and your customer?"

The man's eyes widened at that and, had he been drinking something, he would undoubtedly choke on it. Had that waitress honestly insinuated that he was paying that girl, that couldn't be half of his age by the way, for that kind of… favors? He was even more shocked by the fact that the girl said nothing to deny it, what showed the man that she actually acted in that line of work.

Prostitution at such a young age… it was sad.

"Scotch on the rocks, as always. And make it a good scotch, Maria; he's paying."

"You got a rich one? Good for you, girl! And for you, sir?"

"Water is fine."

"Water…? W-Well, alright. I'll be back in a second."

With that, Maria left Bleach and the stranger alone.

"Well, let me introduce mys-"

"How the fuck did you know I was following you?" Bleach asked, cutting the man off. "I was perfectly silent and made sure to keep out of your line of sight."

The man watched Bleach for a few seconds before answering. When he did, he had a small, pleased smile on his lips.

"Indeed, your stealth is perfect. Sight, sound and tact. You found a way to follow and approach me without letting any of these senses give off your presence. But there are other ways to give away your location."

"Yes?"

"The most obvious: smell."

"Smell? I wear no fucking perfume." Then, Bleach raised her shirt to her nose and sniffed it. "I'm not stinking, either."

"Everyone has their natural scent; you don't need to wear perfume to have a smell."

"Are you telling me that you can actually smell me? From a distance? Dude, that's some crazy shit."

The man felt his eyebrow twitch at that last comment, but said nothing about it. "Yes, but that is a specialty of mine. What you must watch not to give yourself away is your Aura."

"My… Aura?"

"Yes. Whenever you were about to steal from me, I could feel your intent even if I could not feel you per se."

"So that's why you changed directions just at the right time. You knew I was following you since the fucking beginning."

"Not since the beginning; only after you first approached me to attempt the theft. Your Aura spiked almost immediately; it was just a little, yes, but it was enough for me to feel it. But, to be fair, I went to that area knowing that you'd come after me."

"The fuck?"

"Why do you think I'm looking like that, practically begging to be robbed? I knew there was a thief, a very proficient one, in that area. Everyone knows."

"He, my reputation precedes me. Crap. Anyway, so you came here specifically to find me."

"Yes."

"W-"

"I'm back!" Maria announced with a big smile, then put an iced glass of water in front of the dark-haired man. "Your water, sir."

"Thank you."

"Your scotch, sweetie." Maria said, putting a glass of the drink in front of the girl.

"Leave the bottle, Maria." Bleach said, eyeing the bottle on the waitress' tray.

Maria raised an eyebrow at the girl, giving her a dubious look. The man looked at her incredulous.

"I told you, didn't I? He's paying." The girl answered the unspoken question with a smile. "I can afford it today."

Maria glanced at the stranger. He nodded his head.

"You got very lucky with today's customer, sweetie." The waitress said, putting the bottle on the table. "But… be careful, 'kay?"

"Of course. Thanks, Maria."

After the waitress was gone again. Bleach downed her first glass in one gulp and served herself another one. The stranger's eyes widened at that.

"So, what the fuck do you want with me?" Bleach asked conversantly.

"I want to train you."

"Train me?"

"Yes. You have potential, lots of it. I want you to become a Hunter, like me."

Bleach's eyes widened at the word 'Hunter' and she quickly retrieved the wallet the man had given her earlier. It was full of sheets of paper; there was no money in it. And no Hunter's license.

"You piece of shit! You tricked me! And where the fuck is your Hunter's license? I won't believe in you, unless you show that shit to me."

Wordlessly, the man raised a card in front of him. Bleach tried to grab it, but the man raised it out of her reach.

"Look with your eyes."

"What? You don't trust me?" Bleach had an amused smirk on her lips. She knew the answer to that already.

"No."

"Whatever." With that, Bleach stood up to get a better look at the card. "It's authentic. You're really a fucking Hunter, huh? You sure don't look like one, Mister… Ging Freecs?"

"I'll take that as a compliment, Miss Bleach."

"_Anyway, can I count with your presence, Miss Psychopath?"_

"Hehehe; it has been years since anyone called me Miss."

"So, what do you say? Will you let me train you? It'll be hard, but I promise that, once we're done, no one will step on you anymore."

Bleach stopped to consider for a moment, but it was a very short moment. All the humiliation she endured through her years were more than enough to convince her. When she was stronger… then she would be truly free. She wouldn't need to follow anyone's orders again or have to sell herself for money.

"I can't afford to pay you shit."

"I didn't expect you to."

The girl downed another glass and stretched her hand to the man.

"Very well, but don't expect me to call you teacher or Master or shit, ok, _Ging_?"

Ging shook her hand.

"Wouldn't dream of it, _Bleach_."

* * *

**Reviews (good or bad) are very much appreciated! :) Also, I hope Ging wasn't too OOC...**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	4. I'll Make a Hunter Out of You

**ohmyyato: Yeah, Bleach is quite fucked up. Actually, she is the most problematic OC I've ever created. XP And, don't worry, I intend to make that pairing (IllumixBleach) as believable and cannon as possible. And, if I write someone OOC, please, let me know. ;)**

**Anyway, a big thank you ohmyyato and Luscinia Evan for reviewing. :D**

**And, yes, this chapter's title comes from that song from the movie 'Mulan': 'I'll make a man out of you'_. _XD**

* * *

Bleach hated Ging Freecs. As a matter of fact, she was going to kill the son of a bitch. Painfully. and at great length.

As soon as she stopped trembling, sweating, vomiting, walking in circles and pulling her hair out, that is.

"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! LET ME OUT!"

Silence.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT FUCKING NOW. THIS IS **MY **ROOM, YOU SHIT! YOU CAN'T KEEP ME LOCKED IN HERE!"

Still no answer came.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! LET ME OUT! PLEASE, GING! I'M FUCKING BEGGING YOU! I WILL DO WHATEVER YOU ASK BUT LET ME OUT PLEASE! I-I-I…"

Bleach fell to her knees, still pulling her hair out, and started bawling like a starving babe. In her next words, her voice was low and broken.

"I-I… I need a fucking d-drink. Please, G-Ging; just a sip. P-Please…"

* * *

**_Five days earlier._**

The first thing Ging did when Bleach agreed in becoming his student was to empty her hotel room.

With a bottle of gin in her hand, Bleach watched the man work from the doorway with a bored expression.

"Why the fuck are you doing that?" She asked after taking a big gulp of her drink.

"It's so we can begin your training."

"I don't see how this is going to make me stronger. I mean, I'm not even the one doing the fucking cleaning."

"That's because you wouldn't do it right."

The girl rolled her eyes and sipped her bottle again.

"Whatever."

Bleach stood in the center of her hotel room and looked around; everything but one mattress, one pillow, some bed sheets and covers had been removed. Also, Ging had shut the only window of the place, nailing wood planks over it.

"Dude, that's so fucking creepy. The room's all dark and empty and shit. It's like those asylum's rooms you see in the movies." Bleach spoke as she raised her gin bottle to her mouth.

But, before she could sip the drink, Ging walked to her and took the bottle from her hand.

"Hey!"

"You won't need this right now." Ging said, walking towards the door.

"Ah! We're finally going to train?" Bleach asked with an excited smile. "So, how is it going to be?"

"Hard."

With that simple word, Ging closed the door behind him

Brows furrowed in confusion, Bleach walked to the door and turned the doorknob to open it. She wasn't surprised to find it locked.

"Hey, Ging!" Bleach called. "What's up with this shit? Open up, man; that's not fucking funny."

Silence.

"What kind of training is this shit, anyway? What the fuck I'm supposed to do? Meditate?"

"I recommend it greatly. It would do you some good." She heard the man's voice from the other side of the door. "Specially taking into account what's to come."

Bleach didn't like the sound of that. Not one bit.

"And what is to come, Ging? Why the fuck did you take my bottle from me?"

"Abstinence."

Bleach's eyes widened and she started to punch and kick the door ferociously.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT! DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO SOBER ME UP! GING, OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR RIGHT NOW AND LET ME OUT! I DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS SHIT! I ALLOWED YOU TO TRAIN ME NOT TO MEDDLE IN MY FUCKING LIFE!"

"It's for your own good."

* * *

On the first two days, all Bleach felt was anger. She'd pace around her room, cursing under her breath, or lie on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes. But she would eat all of the three meals Ging took to her everyday.

On the third day, she started to feel hate. Her head hurt like a bitch as she punched her pillow, imagining it was that fucking Ging's head. She'd still eat, but she wouldn't be able to keep all of the food down for long.

From the fourth day on, she was desperate and sick. Bleach would slam her feet and hands on the door, demanding to be left out and begging for a drink. She ignored the food most of time; the only thing her stomach truly wanted was alcohol.

On the twelfth day, things started to get better. The girl didn't feel like a piece of crap anymore; she was calmer and her sickness was mostly gone. She resumed eating some of the food that was delivered to her. Alcohol wasn't _always_ on her mind anymore.

On the seventeenth day, a smiling Ging opened the door.

"I think that's enough. Congratulations, Bleach, you overcame the worst part of your rehabilitation process."

* * *

"For such a skinny and undernourished girl, you have a killer right hook." Ging spoke from the outside of the motel room as he pressed a pack of ice to his face. "Now, open the door, Bleach."

"No fucking way!" The girl spat out from the other side of the locked door. "I'm not leaving this place until you disappear, you fucking prick! I never want to see your face again! You hear me, shithead?!"

"But, you agreed to let me train you." Ging tried. "You said you'd let me turn you into a Hunter."

"Well, I changed my fucking mind!"

"Come on, Bleach, you know that what I did was for your own good. Being sober will allow you to have more power over your life." Bleach was about to throw a 'Go fuck yourself!', but stopped herself. She was listening now; Ging could feel it in her aura. "You won't be a slave to alcohol anymore, Bleach. Now, you can live your life thinking about what you want to do, not about what you have to do to get another drink."

"... Go on."

"By being a Hunter, you'll have the means to achieve what you want. A Hunter license can give you anything: adventures, privileges, money... Name it and it will be yours. But, first, you need the power to acquire the license, and that is something I can give you."

Minutes of silence was the response that Ging received. The Hunter was about to give up and turn around when he heard the door's lock turning on the other side

Bleach opened the door and regarded the Hunter with narrowed eyes.

"Alright; let's do this."

* * *

The first thing Ging did was to take Bleach out shopping. He wouldn't be comfortable training a teenage girl dressed as a hooker and it wouldn't be practical for Bleach to train in a skirt. Bleach agreed to it happily and exchanged her skimpy, beat-down clothes for a pair of black mid-tight length shorts, a black tank top, a dark green hoodie and black, ankle-high combat boots.

Their next stop was the hospital to get a check-up. Bleach protested against it fiercely, since she knew she would get her ass handed to herself by whatever doctor that attended her. After all, until a couple of weeks ago, Bleach's life-style was that one of an alcoholic prostitute that consumed far too many morning-after pills and had a doubtful personal hygiene.

"I'm fucking warning you, Ging. I'm out of that fucking hospital at the first disgusted or judgmental look I receive, got it?"

"Calm down. We're just going to collect material for some exams today. No one will judge you."

* * *

The exams' results came three days later.

To say Bleach was nervous would be the understatement of the century. The girl had never cared about her health before but now that she was sober, it became a worrying matter to her. Her liver was most likely destroyed and who knows what kinds of disease she was carrying in her body?!

"Let's go, Ging." The girl pleaded. "Please, I fucking beg you; let's just forget these shitty exams and get on wit-"

"Bleach." A female doctor called. "Come with me."

"No scape now, Bleach. Go on. I'll be waiting for you here."

* * *

"You have quite the wild live, huh, young lady?" Doctor Rosa Rodriguez asked.

"I-I'm sorry."

"I don't want you to apologize. I want you to promise to take better care of yourself."

"What do I have, Doc?"

"The question is: what don't you have?"

"I'm going to die, ain't I?" Bleach asked scared.

The doctor's eyes widened for a second before an amused smile stretched across her face. "No, you're not going to die. You're undernourished, and your liver is a little rough around the edges. Also, your hormones are a mess and you have quite a number of STDs. But, if you eat better, lay off the alcohol and follow the STDs treatment correctly, you'll get a complete recovery."

The girl's eyes widened. "I-I'm going to be fine? No shit?"

"No shit. But, do me a favor and exchange those morning-after pills for condoms and regular contraceptive pills, alright? It's a crime how those things unbalance your body's hormones."

* * *

Ging wanted to bury himself in shame when Bleach walked out of the doctor's office, announcing happily to the whole waiting room that, among some "-minnor shit" she had syphilis, gonorrhea, candidiasis, a hormonal unbalance and was badly undernourished, but "-nothing really serious! Everything has a cure!"

* * *

A few days later, Bleach and Ging moved to the man's apartment, close to the archeological excavations where he was working. Ging's apartment, Bleach noted, was a place where even the mouthwash was alcohol free. The place was small, but tidy, composed of two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a small living room.

In that living room, Bleach would learn about Nen and three of its Four Basic Principles.

"So, what are you going to teach me?"

"First, I'll baptize you and teach you how to keep your aura from leak-"

"Baptize? What the fuck is that?"

"Calm down; I'll explain it all in due time. So, as I was saying, I'll teach you how to control the flow of your aura through Ten. After that, I'll train you in two of the other three principles of Nen: Zetsu and Ren. These skills will be more than enough to get you through the Hunter exam with ease."

"There are more skills then?"

"Naturally. Controlling Nen is a lifetime process that varies from individual to individual. I'll initiate you in it and may even explain to you what Hatsu is all about, but you'll have to learn that one by yourself. After we are done with the basics, you're on your own. Does that sound good enough for you?"

"Of course. I get to be strong, rich **and** get fucking rid of you. I can't think there is a better agreement for me than that."

"Good."

"Well, let's get started, already. Baptize me, Ging."

* * *

Six months. It was what it took for Bleach to master the basics of Ten, Zetsu and Ren. She was happy for being able to evolve so fast, but, as much as it pained her to admit it, she didn't want Ging to leave her.

Yes, bad-ass, lone wolf Bleach had developed a bond with someone, so what?! It's not like there was something she could've done about it; that man was the first person of the world that cared for her without asking anything back. From the moment they met onwards, Ging had provided Bleach everything she needed: food, clothes, a proper shelter, support in keeping her sober and even some sort of education. Bleach didn't have to steal or prostitute herself anymore. Truth be told, she missed doing the first, but stopping the second made everything worth it.

Long story short, Ging sobered her up and returned her life to her.

And Bleach lo- _liked_, and respected, him for it. So, she took the best course of action she could think of.

"I really don't understand why you're having such a hard time with Zetsu, Bleach. You did it almost perfectly before, without even knowing about Nen."

"I don't fucking know, okay? Just… stop complaining and help me out."

Yes. She pretended to have difficulties.

* * *

Granted, Ging is a scarily smart person, but, the thing is: Bleach is a wonderful actress and, let's be frank here, Ging doesn't have much experience when dealing with people on a more personal basis. That all culminated with two months of unnecessary training until the man noticed he was being played.

"I just don't get it, Ging! That Ren thing is fucking hard!"

"Why are you doing this, Bleach?"

"Yeah, rub on my nose that I'm doing shit! That will make me learn Ren faster!"

"No, I mean, why are you pretending to suck at controlling Nen when you already have a great grasp on all of the three principles I taught you?"

Bleach stopped projecting her aura immediately, letting it flow in its calm and steady Ten.

"When did you realize?" She asked, giving Ging a smirk.

"Last night I came back a little earlier from the excavations and saw you practicing Ren perfectly on your own." Ging answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, I will ask again: why are you doing this?"

"….." Bleach mumbled, crossing her arms as well and staring at the ground.

"Louder."

"I said!" She snapped, before lowering her voice again. "I just don't want you to go away. I really like you, Ging."

The Hunter said nothing, but his wide and scared eyes spoke volumes.

"Say something!"

"…You didn't curse. That's nice."

Ging couldn't help but think that Bleach's incredulous expression was one of the funniest things he had ever seen.

"I didn't _fucking_ curse? That's all you have to _fucking _say? Really?!"

"What do you expect me to say?"

"Nothing!"

"What?"

"I don't want you to say shit!" The girl yelled, stalking towards the man. Ging wasn't ashamed to admit he took a few steps back, until his back hit the wall behind him. "I just… Agh!"

Bleach did something that shocked Ging and herself. She roughly grabbed the front of the man's shirt and pulled him down, crashing his lips on hers in a desperate kiss.

The Hunter stood frozen, eyes wide and unbelieving as the girl – that still couldn't be half of his age! – tried to coax him in kissing her back. Unfortunately to her, the man kept his lips firmly shut, not letting anything, like a tongue, go in or out of his mouth.

After moments of a frustrated attempt at a kiss, Bleach lessened the grip she had on his shirt and lowered her face so she laid her forehead on the man's chest. Ging still didn't move.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" Bleach said in a whisper. "Is it because I used to fuck other men for money? Or because I was a drunk? Or am I not pretty enough?"

"It's not because any of this, Bleach." Ging said awkwardly. "There is nothing wrong with you. It's just not right for me; I don't see you like that."

"Why?"

"Many reasons." Ging settled and removed Bleach's hands from him. "That's enough for today. Go to sleep."

Tightening her hands into fists by her side, Bleach glared daggers at the floor as Ging walked away from her.

No matter. Let the fucker go. She was better off on her own; had always been. Nothing lasts forever anyway; people come and go like leaves in the wind. So why sho- why _did_ she care about one man? She didn't! He had been kind to her, so what? She hadn't needed him to be kind to her then, and she sure as hell didn't need it now!

"Fuck you, Ging…" Bleach wiped her head to glare at Ging's retreating figure. "Yeah! Run away without another word, you shithead! I never want to see you again!"

* * *

A few hours later, Bleach changed her mind and walked to his bedroom.

She wasn't being fair to Ging; she couldn't be mad at him just because he didn't lo- _like_ her as she did him. He had helped her so much; the least she could do was talk _calmly_ to him about it and ask him _nicely _to stay with her, even if just as a friend.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Ging, open up, please. I swear I just want to talk."

Silence. Honestly, she was getting tired of having one-sided conversations with the Hunter through closed doors. The times she begged him to let her out on that bizarre rehab were more than enough for the girl.

"Don't you ignore me, Ging; you know how much I hate it. Open this door, right now! … Please."

Silence again.

"Alright. That's fucking it!"

Bleach kicked the door down to reveal Gings's simple, neat and very much empty bedroom.

"What the fuck?"

The girl didn't waste a second in entering the room, scanning it with narrowed eyes; save for a bed, a wardrobe, a desk and its chair, the place was completely empty. Bleach opened the wardrobe's doors and drawers; their insides were empty as well.

"That son of a bitch took off!" Bleach complained as she moved to open the desk's drawers. "That litt- What's this?"

One of the desk's drawers had a fake bottom. A very well-made one at that. As a matter of fact, hadn't Bleach worked as a thief for the Mafia in her early teenage years, she wouldn't have been able to notice it. Quickly, the girl dropped to her knees and searched the bottom of the drawer; there, she found a small hole, of the size of the tip of mechanical pencil's graphite lead.

Bleach ran back to her room to grab the mechanical pencil Ging gave her when he had her start taking private lessons in History and Geography – she hated the lessons and didn't learn shit from them, but it made Ging happy so she went with it.

With the writing instrument in hand, Bleach went back to Ging's room and inserted its graphite lead in the hole under the drawer. As in a trick of magic, something clicked in the drawer and the fake bottom popped up, revealing a fat brown envelope.

The girl tore the thing open avidly, finding some money and a small note.

'_You're ready to take care of yourself now. Keep sober and become a great Hunter. _

_But, no matter how great of a Hunter you become, I doubt you'll be able to find me while I'm looking for my own adventures._

_If you're looking for adventures as well, the Hunter Exam that will take place in two years' time promises great thrills to its contestants. _

_Ging.'_

"You really don't know how to be discreet, do you, Ging? So, you'll give me a hint of your whereabouts in two years, on the Hunters Exam, huh? That note is so fucking obvious that you could've just written so. Well, I'll take your bait and sit the next couple of exams out. And, mark my words, I'll find you, you shithead." Bleach crumpled the note in her hand. "AND I'LL KICK YOUR FUCKING ASS!"

* * *

**_A couple of months later._**

"Thank you for scolding my son for me, Kaito. He should know better than to mess with fox-bears." Ging spoke with a smile, laying a hand on Kaito's shoulder. Then, the brunette let his hand drop and turned around. "You know… I've trained someone else recently. A girl named Bleach."

"Really?" Somehow, the idea of Ging taking another pupil seemed strange to Kaito. "Did you give her the task of finding you too?"

"Naturally." Ging answered, throwing a smirk over his shoulder. "But I don't really expect she'll follow through. I think she may not even bother to try."

"Why did you ask her to track you, then?" Kaito asked, walking to stand beside his once-teacher.

Ging shrugged. "She had just overcame her alcoholism and needed some sort of long-term objective. So, I put her to search for me, but only after she finished the Hunter Exam that will happen two years from now."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "What's going to happen in that Exam?"

"My son will take it. I'm sure." Ging answered with a proud smile before shrugging again. "But that's not the point. Preparing yourself for the Hunter Exam is a good reason to stay sober, don't you agree? Hopefully, she'll even forget about me in these two years window I gave her. If she doesn't forget about me by then... well, finding out I have a son will certainly make her do so."

"Forget about you?" Kaito smirked. "She developed a crush on you, didn't she?"

"Yeah." Ging grumbled. "But she's an independent girl. I'm sure that two years will be more than enough for her to forget about me."

"I don't know about that. You're a man hard to forget, Ging."

* * *

**_Two years later._**

"Good mor- What are you doing, Bleach?"

"Oh, hey, Alec. Just cleaning my room; puting everything away."

"I can see that. But why?"

"I'm going away to take the Hunter Exam. I told you about it, remember?"

"It has been two years already, huh?"

"Yes."

"When are you going?"

"Today; as soon as your dad – I mean, Mr. Mitchel - return with Gabby from her friend's birthday party."

"So soon?"

"Yep."

"Man, dad won't stop complaining about you going away. He's always talking that hiring you to help out in the store was the best decision he ever made. And mom! She will miss having you living with us; no one compliments her food as much as you do. Gabby will throw a fit for not having you to play make-believe with her anymore."

"They will get over it."

"…"

"What?"

"Don't go."

"Alec…"

"Stay here with us and forget that Hunter Exam! You like it here; mom and dad love having you in the house and helping out in the store. Gabby likes you more than she does me. And I lo-"

"Don't, Alec. Just don't."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't love me. Not like that, at least. You're too young to understand what that kind of love is, anyway."

"I am 13!"

"And I'm almost 20."

"I will grow up!"

"Alec, come here. Look at me. I like you and your family. You all have been extremely kind to me; getting me a job in your dad's store, letting me rent your guest room and just being there for me as if I was part of the family-"

"You are!"

"-but it's time for me to go. I told you from the beginning that I wouldn't be here for long; that this was all temporary."

"But-"

"No buts, Alec. It's time to say goodbye. Now, don't cry, I need you to be strong for Gabby, your little sister, alright? Can you do this for me?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good boy. Now, come down the stairs with me, yes? I think I heard Mr. Mitchel's car pulling in."

* * *

"Man, saying good bye was so fucking hard." Bleach mumbled to herself as she made her way to the port, carrying nothing but the clothes on her body and some money in her pockets. "They were really nice. I didn't want to hurt their feelings like that. Well, fuck it; what's done is done."

From the distance, Bleach saw a wooden boat floating to the harbor. A smirk stretched on her face.

"Just you fucking wait, Ging. I'll find you."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed. :)**

**Please, review ;)**

**Kisses, RedVoid**


	5. Hunter Exam: Making Friends? Not Many

"Congratulations! You're the first participant to arrive." A green, bean-faced, little man greeted Bleach, raising to her a pin with the number 1. Of course, she was first; Bleach had two years to prepare herself for this specific exam. "Here's your number; please keep it pinned to your chest at all times. Be careful not to lose it."

Bleach took the pin silently.

"Make yourself comfortable, Miss. It'll take some hours before the exam can begin."

Still in silence, Bleach nodded her head. To anyone, the girl seemed to be calm and at ease, but, if you were to listen to her thoughts, you'd find out that she was shocked beyond belief.

After all, _THAT MIDGET'S HEAD IS A FUCKING GREEN BEAN! JUST… WHAT THE FUCK?!_

* * *

As the contestants arrived, Bleach couldn't help but wonder why that year's Exam was going to be exciting; they all looked so weak and uninteresting…

"You are number 44, sir. Please put your number on your chest and don't take it off."

"Understood~. "

Alright, maybe not all of them.

As Bleach watched contestant number 44, a redheaded man in a most ridiculous jester outfit, she prayed that he wasn't the reason Ging had sent her on this particular Exam, because, if that was the case…

The clown's eyes went directly to Bleach and the predatory smile he gave her made the white-haired girl gulp in fear.

…if that was the case, Ging was most certainly trying to get her killed.

* * *

The next one that gave Bleach the creeps was number 301; a freak with needles pinned in his head.

"Fucking weirdo…" Bleach mumbled to herself as she watched him walk through the room. The girls was doing her best to pretend not to notice that number 44 was approaching her silently –but not with Zetsu activated, she noted - from behind. Maybe, if she ignored him, he'd go away.

"He is, isn't he? "

Tough luck, girl.

Slowly, Bleach turned her head to the redhead smiling down at her. "Hello."

"Hello~! "

"…"

"…"

"Can I help you with something?"

"Hmmm… I didn't scare you, did I." 44 more stated than asked, his eyes twinkling predatorily. "I'm Hisoka. What's your name?"

Bleach really wanted to tell the man to fuck off and leave her alone, that she didn't care about his stupid name, but, since that would most likely get her killed, she just answered his question.

"Bleach."

"Bleach? What a crappy name~." The man commented, making the girl narrow her eyes at him. "Still, you seem to have some sort of potential. I'll be watching you~! " With that, the jester walked away.

Just one thing went through Bleach's head: oh, fuck.

* * *

The time for the other contestants to arrive was ending and Bleach was certain that trying to kiss Ging was the worst decision of her life, since it was most likely the reason he sent her to that Hunter Exam to die at the hands of Hisoka.

That is, until the last three contestants arrived.

The girl's eyes widened and her jaw went slack as she watched the bean-midget hand the number 405 for a smiling, miniature version of Ging.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Most of all, she couldn't believe in the only possible explanation for the fact that a kid who looked exactly like Ging was standing in front of her: Ging, the one and only, the fucking _asexual_ Ging, had a son!

"Y-You…" Bleach breathed out, pointing to number 405.

Curious and confused, the boy turned his gaze to her, pointing to himself as well. "Me?"

"You're Ging Freecs' son! Admit it!"

The boy's eyes widened and a big smile broke in his face as he ran towards the white-haired girl.

"You know my father?!" The boy asked excitedly. "Do you know where he is?"

That was when all of the pieces fell into place.

Ging, that manipulative piece-of-shit! He knew his son would take the Hunter Exam and he knew he would be looking for him; that was why he sent her there. Bleach wouldn't find a thing about Ging's whereabouts in that fucking Exam, because this twisted game of hide-and-seek she was playing wasn't about him and her. Actually, she was sure that she wasn't even an actual player. She betted that the bastard just wanted someone to help out his son in his search for him!

If only she knew that Ging's intention was the complete opposite: scare her off with his son…

Well, actually, she would've said the same thing she was about to say:

"No, I don't know where your piece-of-shit father is." The boy's innocent eyes widened so much at hearing Bleach cursing that it seemed they would pop out of their sockets. "But I'll find him and I'LL FUCKING KILL HIM!"

"…"

"…"

Ging's kid and his companions stared at Bleach as if she was crazy, which, in all honesty, wasn't so far of the truth.

"Eh… My name is Gon." The boy said at last with a smile. "This is Leorio and this is Kurapika." Bleach blinked at the boy, surprised that he'd still talk to her after she threatened his father of death. "What's your name?"

"… Bleach."

"Nice to meet you, Bleach!" Gon said enthusiastically. "Would you like to stay with us during the Exam?"

Now, Gon was the one being stared at as if he had lost his mind. Maybe the boy was the crazy one, instead of her.

"Kid, I mean no offense, but: are you fucking crazy?"

Gon frowned at Bleach and crossed his arms over his chest. "Mito-san says it's wrong to curse."

"You're going to complain about my cursing as well?" Bleach sighed in annoyance. "You truly are your father's son."

"Thank you!"

Bleach was ready to shot a 'It wasn't a fucking compliment." At the boy, but his big brown eyes made her hold it back. She hated to admit it, but Ging's son was adorable.

"So, want to stay with us?"

"WHAT?! YOU WERE SERIOUS BACK THEN, GON?" The old man, Leorio, complained.

It seemed that the blonde – boy? girl? Bleach wasn't sure – was about to protest against the offer as well but Bleach's words cut him off.

"I guess so. It's not like I have something else to do, anyway."

It was with great pleasure that she saw the old man and the blonde narrow their eyes suspiciously at her.

"Yay! I hope we become good friends!" Gon exclaimed with a huge smile on his face.

"Yeah… Well, I don't know ab-"

"Hey! I haven't seen you guys around here before!" A voice came from up high.

All four heads turned up to see a fat man with a potato nose smiling down at them; number 16.

Bleach frowned in annoyance. She knew that man. It was Tonpa; he had tried to strike up conversation with her as soon as he had gotten there, offering her a soda as a sign of friendship. Naturally wary of strangers, the girl refused the drink and said she wanted to be left alone. Still, the fat man kept trying to talk to her and to get her to drink one of his sodas until Bleach kindly told the guy to fuck off before she shoved that soda can so far up his ass that it would come out of his mouth.

Now, in the company of Gon, Leorio and Kurapika, Bleach couldn't be as rude to Tonpa and tell him to go away. Also, taking into account how nice Gon was to strangers, she'd have to endure the fat bastard for a good while.

As Tonpa engaged Gon in a conversation, Bleach groaned in annoyance, already regretting agreeing to stay with them during the exam.

That was why she preferred doing things on her own.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, after Hisoka killed one of the 405 applicants, a man in a purple suit appeared and said that anyone who wished to give up on the Hunter Exam walked back to the elevator.

No one moved.

"Very well, then." The man in the purple suit, Satotsu was his name, spoke. "All 404 applicants here will participate in Phase One." With that, he turned around and started to march away.

The four were quick to fall in step after him, just as all of the other contestants.

"No one left..." Leorio commented. "I was hoping some would withdraw though."

"Then you're stupider than you look." Bleach responded matter-of-factly. "Everyone had to pass through some shitty challenges to get here. No one would waste that effort and fucking give up before even trying, old man. Not unless there were some sort of consolation prize in for them."

"I s- DID YOU JUST CALL ME 'OLD MAN'?!" Leorio complained, glaring and pointing an accusing finger at Bleach.

"Forget it, Leorio. And she's right; people don't spend their time doing something unless they receive something back." Kurapika spoke in an appeasing voice, before turning to look at Bleach with suspicious eyes. "But to say that in such a frank and rude manner. It was quite uncalled for."

The amused smirk the girl gave him made the blonde tighten his fists in annoyance.

After that, the group fell in silence as they walked calmly after the man in the purple suit. Until, the examiner started to speed up his pace.

"W-What?" Leorio asked no one in particular.

"The people in front started running." Gon observed.

"He has picked up the pace." Kurapika explained

"So a resistance test it is…" Bleach said under her breath. "Heh, bring it on, Mister First Examiner."

* * *

"Ne, Bleach." Gon called as he ran besides the girl. Kurapika was close behind, while Leorio lagged some feet. "How did you meet Ging?"

"Heh, not the most interesting tale, Gon." The girl answered with a smirk pulling on her lips. "A couple of years back; I lived as a poor orphan in a shi- run-down city of a poor country. I have no fu- no idea why, but Ging saw potential in me and decided he wanted to train me to become a Hunter." She explained, conveniently leaving out her career as a thief and prostitute and drinking problem. "Then, after he deemed me ready, the bastard took off, leaving me just a fuc- note that asked me to take this Hunters Exam."

"Then he wanted us to meet!" The boy exclaimed. "I bet he intended for us to look for him together!"

"I think so too." Bleach agreed with a nod. "The shi- bastard knew I'd be looking for him, like you."

"Hahaha! Ging sure is incredible!"

Bleach couldn't keep the small, affectionate smile from stretching on her lips. "Yes, Gon. Yes, he is."

That little show of affection didn't go unnoticed by Kurapika. Though the blonde didn't comment on it, he did feel somewhat reassured by that smile; it showed that the white-haired girl wasn't as rotten as her mouth.

As soon as it got there, though, the smile was replaced by an ugly scowl and she was surrounded by a dark aura. "But, your father or not, I'm still going to kick that shithead's ass."

Well, maybe she wasn't such a bad person, but Kurapika was most definitely not trusting her.

Kurapika was removed from his thoughts by Leorio's loud voice. He, Bleach and Gon quickly turned their heads to see the man complaining to a white-haired boy that skated by.

"Hey! Wait up, brat! You should show some respect to the Hunter Exam!"

"What do you mean?" The boy asked.

"Why are you using a skateboard?! That's cheating!"

"Why?"

Bleach rolled her contact-covered eyes. "Don't listen to him, kid. He's just fucking jealous because he has to endure the running and you don't."

"No cussing, Bleach! Mito-san said so."

Ignoring Gon, Leorio turned his glare to Bleach. "I'm not! And he is cheating! This is an endurance test!"

"No, it isn't." Gon cut in. "The examiner just said that we should follow him."

"Even you, Gon? Whose side are you two on?!"

"Not yours, old man." Bleach answered the obviously rhetorical question with a big smirk on her lips.

"Hey…" The skater boy called to Gon. "How old are you?"

"Twelve!"

Then, the new kid surprised everyone by getting off his skate – in a super cool way, Gon might add – and saying that he'd run too.

"I'm Killua." The boy said.

"I'm Gon."

* * *

Bleach noticed that Leorio was getting slower and slower, but she just prayed that Gon wouldn't notice it; the boy would surely stop when - not if - the old man stopped.

As the girl predicted, Leorio stopped and, soon after, Gon and Killua did too.

"Oh, well." Bleach said with a shrug of her shoulders but she didn't stop running. She knew Gon would catch up soon and, in all honesty, she couldn't care less about Leorio.

* * *

"Ah, Bleach." Kurapika called as the girl was about to run by him. "Where are Gon and Leorio? Weren't they with you?"

"Yeah, but the old man wasn't able to fucking keep up and made a pit-stop. Gon stayed with him."

"Why am I not surprised to see that you left him there and don't feel guilty about it? Really, you have less honor than Leorio."

"Why am I not surprised that you are fucking nagging me, already?" Bleach complained, very annoyed at the blonde. "Also, do me a favor and save that honor bullshit to those that care to listen to it, 'kay? You don't know shit about me so don't you fucking judge or complain about my values, Mr. I'm-better-than-thou."

With that, the girl sped up, leaving an equally annoyed Kurapika behind.

* * *

Soon, Bleach was right behind Satotsu, alongside a handful of others participants and, amongst them...

"If it isn't our little cleaning product~! "

Ah, fuck.

"Hisoka." Bleach greeted – if you could call that a greeting – pretending not to notice that number 301 was approaching them; maybe, unlike Hisoka, he'd just go away and leave her be. She sure hoped so, because dealing with one creep at a time was more than enough for her.

But, then again, when has this story's author given her characters any peace?

"Kata… Kata…"

"And you are…?" The girl asked, turning her head to look at the human pincushion.

"Kata… Kata…"

She blinked and turned her head to Hisoka.

"Gittarackuru. " The clown offered.

"And you two are talking to me because…?"

"No reason. Just wanted to see how you're holding up this little test. Wouldn't want you to give up before getting rip, you know? " Hisoka asked with a smile that, in another person's face would be friendly and inviting. In Hisoka's, it was homicidal. "Well, good luck! Bye, bye~!"

"Kata…"

Bleach slowed down as the two sped up - side by side, she noticed - wanting to put as much distance between her and them as she could. When she was sure they were out of hearing range, she couldn't help but complain out loud.

"I can't believe this shit! The two creepiest guys around here are fucking friends! Should've stayed with the old man…"

* * *

Bleach was very happy to see the end of the tunnel less than a mile away from her. Sure, she could have a good physique but there was something that she would never deny:

"Running fucking sucks."

"Bleach!" Gon called, approaching her fast with Killua. "You're really good at running."

"Considering my former line of work, I should be." The girl replied absent minded. Something flashed in Killua's eyes at her words.

"And what line of work was that?" The boy asked suspiciously.

Bleach raised an eyebrow at the new kid. That boy was not dumb, not dumb at all.

"That's none of your business, brat." Bleach answered with a malicious smirk. "But I can tell you, IF you tell me what was yours."

Killua's eyes widened in surprise. Bleach's smirk widened.

"Your footsteps are very quiet, you know. Also, the way you move is too fuc- controlled and precise." Bleach explained, turning her head to stare right ahead of her. "So you were either a thief or an as-"

"Ne, Bleach!" Gon cut in, sensing the atmosphere getting a little too tense for his liking. "Killua and I are racing to the top; the loser has to buy dinner to the winner! Want to race with us?"

"Gon, of course she won't ag-"

"I'm in."

Gon smiled. "Yay!"

Killua scowled. "What?"

"Don't get me wrong, brat. Running sucks, but I'm not one to pass a free meal." Bleach stated seriously. "I hope you two have a shi- a lot of money because my stomach is closest thing to a black hole you'll ever find."

* * *

"**GOAL!"**

"Yay! I win!"

"What are you talking about, Gon? I was faster."

"You two boys are crazy. It's so fuc- obvious that I got here first."

"No way! I was faster!"

"No, I was."

"I'm telling you, it was me. You two are fu- buying me dinner."

"No, you are buying me dinner."

"Nu-uh, I'm the one that's going to be treated dinner."

"But I was faster!"

"No, I was!"

"I already said that it was me."

"Satotsu-san, who was faster?"

"I believe you three crossed the finish line simultaneously."

"Oh… Then, I'll buy Killua dinner. And Killua will buy Bleach dinner. And Bleach will buy me dinner."

"…"

"…"

"I don't get it…"

"Don't feel bad, brat; it doesn't make fucking sense for me neither."

"Mito-san said no cussing, Bleach!"

* * *

"God fucking damn it!" Bleach complained under her breath as she used Zetsu and ran on the opposite direction Satostu had gone to. "Follow the examiner. Follow the examiner or you fucking _die_! So simple! So fucking simple! But, do those three shitheads do that? No, they find a way to fuck up and get lost in this thick as shit mist with none other than that homicidal clown! Fucking hell! And the worst? I'm going after them! Why the fuck am I doing something so fucking stupid anyway? That's right, Gon is Ging's son. A very much adorable son at that! In my whole fucking life, it is fucking _today_ that I choose to demonstrate that I have a fucking conscience! FUCK!"

* * *

When Bleach caught up to Hisoka, she found Leorio walking towards him with a stick in hand, as if that little thing would do much – if anything - to that clown. From her hiding place behind a tree, Bleach took comfort in knowing Gon wasn't facing off the jester.

That comfort ended when the fishing buoy of the boy's rod flew on Hisoka's face.

Really, why the fuck did Ging's son have to be suicidal?!

Bleach watched as the jester slowly walked towards Gon as the boy tried to hit the creepy clown with his rod again. Bleach silently grabbed a stone of the ground and held it tightly in her left hand.

She watched as Leorio tried and failed in stopping the clown, only earning a powerful punch on the face.

Wait.

The clown was getting closer to Gon.

Wait.

Closer.

Wait.

"I'm getting really excited now… "

Now.

Still using Zetsu, the girl threw the stone, hitting Hisoka on the face as Gon had done a few moments before. The only difference was that Bleach wasted no time and ran in a circle until she reached the opposite direction from where she was. Bleach's Zetsu was so good and her steps so quiet that Hisoka wasn't able to notice that. On her new spot, she grabbed another rock and threw it, hitting Hisoka as well.

Bleach was about to do that again, but Gon, instead of running away as she had hoped he'd do, under some sort of ludicrous illusion that he could beat Hisoka, used that momentum to try and deliver a direct attack at the jester. Bleach watched that with wide and unbelieving eyes. Ging's son sure was brave. And stupid. More stupid than brave, actually.

Obviously, Hisoka was able to interrupt the boy's attack, grabbing him by the neck with his left hand.

Bleach was about to throw another rock, but Hisoka's voice stopped her.

"Stop throwing rocks and step out, little mouse. Or I'll kill the boy."

Jaw clenched and eyes narrowed, Bleach walked out of her hiding spot and in Hisoka's direction.

"If it isn't, Soap! "

The girl's left eye twitched. "Bleach."

"Same thing." Hisoka settled. "You came to help your friends, as well~? Didn't think you were the type."

Bleach just glared harder at the clown.

"How wonderful…" Hisoka purred as his eyes darted between Gon's and Bleach's. "I really do love your expressions! "

To Bleach's despair, Hisoka started to tighten his grip on Gon's neck, getting to the point where the boy was about to pass out.

"Hiso- ?!"

To the girl's surprise, the jester let go of Gon, allowing him to fall to the ground. Bleach wasted no time; she jumped to the kid's side, grabbed him, and jumped back; never taking her eyes from Hisoka.

It was of no use though, for the psychopath clown practically teleported to their direction, materializing in a crouching position right in front of them.

"Do not fear~." The jester spoke in a calm voice. "I will not kill your friend. He passed." He said looking to Leorio, as if the old man's life was the reason of Bleach's fear. "Yes, and you two passed, as well. Become fine Hunters. "

After that, Hisoka left, carrying Leorio over his left shoulder.

Just then, Bleach noticed how much her arms and legs were trembling. During most of her life, the girl had put herself in risk of being beaten and/or raped but never before had she been so close to death. It was the most terrifying experience of her life, but, also, it was oddly thrilling. Surviving a near-death encounter was almost as good as stealing without letting the victim notice what she was doing.

A second later, Kurapika ran to her and Gon asking if they were alright.

* * *

The three of them, guided by the super-nose Gon inherited from his father, made their way to the site of the Second Phase.

There, they found a still stunned Leorio sitting with his back laying on a tree.

"Leorio!" Gon called as he ran to the man with Bleach and Kurapika on his heels.

"Ah, that hurts… Why am I all beat up?" The old man asked. "My memory is kinda hazy…"

Bleach crossed her arms and felt an amused smirk stretch across her lips. "That creepy c- MPHNG?!"

"We shouldn't tell him what happened!" Kurapika whispered harshly in Bleach's ear as he slapped his hand over the girl's mouth.

The white-haired girl rolled her eyes, but nodded all the same.

As Kurapika let go of the girl, a voice called to Ging's son. "Gon!"

"Killua!"

"I can't believe you guys actually got here. I really thought you were done for."

"I just tracked the smell of Leorio's cologne." Gon explained as if it was the most usual thing to do.

Killua's eyes widened. "What? That's how you got here? You sure are weird."

"You can say that again." Bleach commented in a detached manner as she looked around. More people than she expected passed the First Phase. "Not bad at all."

"Excellent work, everyone." Satotsu commented as he stood in the front of a large gate. "Phase Two of the Exam will occur here, in the Biska Forest Park. Now, I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you."

With that, Satotsu marched away in that weird way of his and the gate opened, revealing the two next examiners: an extremely fat man, large as the moon, and a girl with five pigtails that pointed to five different directions, like the tips of a star.

"What an honor, our next examiners are the fucking moon itself and a star." Bleach commented with an amused smirk.

"You should not talk badly of other people based on their appearances." Kurapika scolded.

"Take that stick off your ass, will you?" Bleach asked, but all she got was a glare. "Whatever. Let's just get this shit done with. It seems the second Phase is going to be fucking boring, so I want to pass to the Third Phase quickly."

* * *

"No one passes to the Third Phase."

Bleach felt her anger-o-meter spike dangerously with those words. That little bitch! Choosing cooking as the Second Phase was just fucking ridiculous! Just because she was a Gourmet Hunter doesn't mean that cooking is an essential skill to become a fucking Hunter!

"Ne, Bleach…" Gon called.

"What!"

The poor boy flinched.

"Your eyes… there's a little evil in them."

"So what?!"

"It makes you look like Hisoka..."

Wordlessly, the white-haired girl turned her gaze to the jester, who was watching her with an amused smile on his lips. Bleach shuddered and dropped her glare. She might've been hating Menchi then, but looking like Hisoka was just unacceptable.

"So… What now?" Bleach asked as they watched Menchi argued with number 255. "We try again next year?"

"I guess so." Gon answered, watching number 255 get slapped away to a wall by Buhara.

"**Now, it would be excessive to fail every single applicant."** A voice came from the skies, making everyone turn their heads up.

Flying above their heads was a blue zeppelin with a 'XX' symbol on it.

"That's the symbol of the Hunters' Association!" Someone spoke in surprise.

Then, from the zeppelin, that was flying some hundreds feet in the air, an old man jumped. WITH NO FUCKING PARACHUTE OR ANYTHING!

"That old man is fucking crazy!" Bleach yelled as she shielded her eyes from the dirt that the man raised when he fell on the ground.

"Who's that geezer?"

"The Chairman of the Selection Committee." Menchi answered. "He's in charge of the Hunter Exam; Chairman Netero."

* * *

In the end, the Second Phase was redone. The new task was to retrieve an egg from the nest of Spider-Eagles. It was all about jumping down a cliff, grabbing an egg and using the updrafts to float back up.

All of Gon's party passed.

* * *

After the Second Phase was over and done with, all of the participants boarded the zeppelin to go to the site of the Third Phase. It would take them almost 12 hours to arrive at their destination so they were left to do as they pleased in the zeppelin.

"Gon! Let's explore this thing!" Killua offered.

"Yes!"

Both boys took off.

"How do they have so much energy? I'm heading straight to bed." Leorio said as he watched the two boys take off.

"Me too." Kurapika agreed before turning to the white-haired girl that was about to walk away from them. "What about you, Bleach?"

"I'm heading to the dining room. The only thing that Dream Egg was good for was to open up my fucking appetite." Bleach answered. "I guess I'll see you shitheads when we arrive. Or not. Who knows?" Then, she walked away.

"That girl really annoys me." Leorio said with a frown on his face.

"Me too. She cusses too much and doesn't seem to care about anyone but herself." Kurapika agreed. But, then, the image of her holding Gon when he found them both after their encounter with Hisoka came to mind. "Though, sometimes, I think it's all a façade."

"Uh? What was that?"

"Nothing." The blonde dismissed, shaking his head softly. "Forget about it. Let's go find a place to sleep."

* * *

**Well, hope that having to re-read the beginning of the Hunter Exam wasn't so boring, and that you enjoyed the chapter. :)**

**Also, for now, I'm changing this fic's genres since the heavy stuff won't show up again until much later. Yep! Now it's about light-hearted adventures and friendship. :D**

**A big thank you to Luscinia Evan for reviewing to the last chapter. :)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	6. Hunter Exam: Hearing Voices - Again

_"I'm heading straight to bed." Leorio said._

_"Me too." Kurapika agreed before turning to the white-haired girl that was about to walk away from them. "What about you, Bleach?"_

_"I'm heading to the dining room. The only thing that Dream Egg was good for was to open up my fucking appetite." Bleach answered. "I guess I'll see you shitheads when we arrive. Or not. Who knows?" Then, she walked away._

_"That girl really annoys me." Leorio said with a frown on his face._

* * *

"Ah! I'm fucking stuffed!" Bleach commented with a satisfied grin as she patted her now two times larger belly and looked around the extremely luxurious dining room. "And the food was so fucking good! I guess those shitty Gourmet Hunters are good for something after all."

"Kata… You eat a lot despite being skinny… Kata…" Gittarackuru's voice came from a few feet behind. Bleach turned her head to glare at him from over her shoulder.

"And you can talk somewhat like a normal human being despite being a fucking pincushion." The girl retorted, glaring at the creep that was taking a place on the chair on the other side of the table, right in front of her.

"… So edgy… Kata…"

"You're not eating anything?"

"No."

"Then why are you fucking here, anyway?"

"Waiting… Kata…"

Bleach almost asked for what. Almost. But, asking that would mean she was interest in talking to Gittarackuru, which she was not. So, she did what she usually did in these situations: she ignored him, hoping he'd go away.

It didn't work. Twenty seconds passed (yeah, she was counting), and Gittarackuru was still there. With an exaspereted sigh and a roll of her eyes, Bleach stood up from her chair up.

Just then, a strong blood lust enter the dining room. Bleach didn't have to turn around to know that it was the creepy jester. Without a second thought, she turned around abruptly and took a step forward to do nothing short of _sprinting _away from the dining room. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough; Hisoka all but materialized beside her and dropped his left hand on her shoulder, pushing her back on the chair.

"Don't leave so soon. " The jester asked/ordered as he sat in the chair besides hers. "I feel like playing a game." Bleach gulped. Yep, she was about to die. "Of poker." Or maybe not.

"I'm sure Gittarackuru will love to play with you."

"He will. And so will you~. "

"I don't know how to play." Bleach lied. Not only did she know how to play, she knew how to cheat; perfectly so.

"Kata… He'll teach you."

Bleach was on the verge of crying out in exasperation. "Why?"

"Because it's more fun to play against two than one. "

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Kata… No…"

* * *

"Royal Straight Flush."

"Kata… For someone who didn't know how to play, you do it professionally so. Kata…" Gittarackuru commented with suspicion, staring at Bleach's winning hand.

Hisoka smiled at his friend. "Beginner's luck~. "

"Most likely." Bleach agreed as she pulled the money on the table to herself. "You know, I actually enjoyed this poker game. What do you say we play one last round?"

"No. Kata… I'm going to sleep." With that, Gittarackuru left the table.

She turned to Hisoka, who smiled that creepy smile of his.

"The cleaning product is getting bold." The jester commented. "I like it. "

"I thought you would." Bleach said as she shuffled the deck. "So, last round?"

"All or nothing~."

* * *

"Fucking cheat." Bleach complained under her breath as she stomped through the corridors with her hands shoved in her hoodie's kangaroo pockets. "He knew I knew how to fucking play and he knew I was cheating. The shithead just waited for the pincushion to leave so he could get all the money to himself. Sleazy motherfucker cheats better than I do. Now it's three past fucking midnight, I didn't get any sleep yet, AND I'm 20.000 jenny poorer."

Just when she thought things couldn't get much worse, Bleach felt a killer intent walking her way. It wasn't frightening as Hisoka's was but the girl was done with dealing with psychopaths for the night so she turned the first left she found and hid herself behind a small bench that was in that corridor to wait for the owner of that dark aura to pass by.

To say that Bleach was surprised to see that the source of the bloodlust was Gon's friend, Killua, would be a lie. The boy was too crafty and untrusting despite his young age; she knew that there was something dark about him.

After Killua was far away enough, Bleach resumed walking to the direction she was going to, and from which he had come from. In the middle of the corridor, there were two heartless corpses on the floor.

"Oh well…" Bleach dismissed as she jumped the bodies. Corpses were a sight she was far used to thanks to her years in Meteor City and with the Mafia. "As long as he fucking controls himself around Gon, I don't give a shit. Talking about Ging's son…. Where the fuck is he anyway?"

* * *

Bleach found the boy inside a large room, trying to catch a ball from the Chairman's hand. Silently, the girl entered the room and sat down by the wall, watching the two of them as if it was some sort of sport playing on TV.

"Ah, Bleach!" Gon called some minutes later, just noticing she was there.

"Hey Gon. The f- What are you trying to accomplish with this? I'm sorry but there's no way that you'll take the ball from the old man's hand."

"I know, but that's not what I'm trying to do." The boy answered with a smile. "Before we land, I'll make him use his right hand. Just watch!"

* * *

Gon's game ended as Bleach thought it would: with the Chairman holding the ball and dry from any sweat, and the boy passed out on the floor. But, to Gon's happiness and Bleach's surprise, he did make Netero use his right hand to dodge a headbutt that the boy tried to deliver him.

For a moment, Bleach considered telling Gon that the old man could've just let him hit his abdomen instead of using his right hand and that the only reason he did that was to keep the boy's skull from being crushed. But, she soon discarded the idea. Needing it or not, the old man used his right hand and that was all that mattered.

"No wonder you're the Chairman, old man." Bleach said as she picked Gon up. "You're fucking strong."

"You seem quite capable yourself. Want to give it a try?" Netero taunted, spinning the ball on his left index finger.

"Ha! As if. I don't play games I can't win. Not anymore, at least."

"A smart decision, but a very boring one."

With a shrug of her shoulders, Bleach walked out of the training room and went to search a spare bedroom, carrying Gon on her back. It was already time they both had some much deserved sleep.

* * *

_On the next day_

"Trick Tower?"

"Yes." The bean answered with a nod. "To pass this Third Phase, you must reach the base of this tower alive. The time limit is 72 hours."

"What? Three days to climb down a fucking tower?" Bleach whined to her party, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why so much time? We'll have to wait down there forever!"

"Indeed, it is weird." Kurapika agreed. "We should be careful; there surely must be some kind of trap."

"With that, we will begin the Third Phase." The bean settled. "I will pray for your success."

* * *

After watching a "top-class rock climber" try to climb down the wall of the tower and get himeself eaten alive by some creepy baby-like bird monsters, Gon's party started to walk around the tower looking for some other way to go down.

"Bleach! Kurapika! Leorio!" Gon called the three, who ran quickly to the boy's side.

"What is it, Gon?" Kurapika asked.

"Look! I found a hidden door." The boy said as he kneeled down and pushed one of the stones on the floor a little to show it was actually some sort of trapdoor.

"So that's how we're supposed to go down, eh?" Bleach stated the obvious with a smirk on her lips. "Sounds easy enough. All we have to do is find these trapdoors and jump down."

To demonstrate – as if it was necessary – the girl jumped slightly.

And fell down through one of the trapdoors.

"AH, FUCK!"

Gon quickly dropped to his knees and tried to push open the door the white-haired dumbass had just fell through. The other three tried to help out as well, but it was of no use.

"Bleach!" Gon called worried, laying his left ear on the floor. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fu- fine, Gon!" Came the girl's voice. "The distance I fell was small and there's nothing dangerous here! You guys go find some trapdoors to yourselves; we'll meet at the end of this Phase!"

* * *

On the room Bleach fell in, there was a flat-screen TV monitor with the following message:

'_You must follow the patch of the lone wolf._

_Walk through the door and overcome the challenges that will come. You have only yourself to count on for help and to blame if you fail.'_

Bleach rolled her eyes and walked through the door that was beside the monitor.

"_You have only yourself to count on for help and to blame if you fail." _Bleach spoke in a grave voice. "Pfff! They think some shitty words are going to intimidate me? Bitch, please, I'm better than that."

For a couple of hours, all Bleach had to do was follow the way the corridors led. Sometimes, obstacles and puzzles showed up for her to overcome but, other than that, nothing happened.

Until she came face to face with a door.

* * *

_A few minutes earlier, in the Trick Tower control room._

"Number 1 is getting closer to the arena." A bald man said.

"Then let's release her opponent." Another man, that was sitting in front of a panel and eating biscuits, answered. "I say we choose Red Ros."

"No, Brawling Bronn would make for a more interesting fight."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm letting Ros out." With that, the sitting man reached out to press a button.

"No. Let Bronn out." The other complained, reaching out to stop him. Soon, they both started to struggle to press the button.

"Let go!"

"I'm releasing Bronn!"

"Wait! Be careful or you'll p-"

_TEC_

"YOU IDIOT! YOU PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON!"

"Damn! Who did I let loose?"

"Let me see… Oh."

"Oh what?"

"You have to go and fix this now or that girl is as good as dead."

"So what? This is how selection goes."

"There'll be no selecting, you idiot! She doesn't stand a chance against him; he's already a master of Nen!"

"Oh. Did I…?"

"Yes, you let _him _out."

* * *

Bleach opened the door, entering a well-illuminated arena. Standing in the middle of it was a tall, dark-skinned man that Bleach remembered very well.

"Never thought I'd see you again, Snowflake." And he remembered her too.

"Noir." The girl said, automatically getting in a defensive stance. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"This is where I'm incarcerated." The former bodyguard answered.

"What?"

"This place is a prison, Snowflake, and I'm a prisoner. For each hour I hold you here, one year is subtracted from my sentence." Noir explained, removing the brown fabric that was covering his body. "Too bad for you that I don't care about that. All I want right now is murder you."

Now wearing just black, worn-out pants and an equally worn-out white T-shirt, the man straightened his back and raised one of his arms until it was perpendicular to his shoulder; his palm was up. Bleach knew that stance; had seen the man in it many times before he killed his targets or anyone that tried to harm one of the Mafia's members. The girl was quick to activate Gyo and reinforce her Ten as a protective measure.

"Oh, I see you learned a little since we last saw each other." Noir commented, truly surprised. "It'll do you no good though; I'll kill you anyway."

"Why do you want to kill me so fucking much, anyway?"

"You can ask that to Nair when I send you to the other world." That said, Noir attacked.

The man was very quick, jumping towards Bleach and trying to spear her with his arm repeatedly, using Ren to strengthen his hits. Luckily, the girl, she was faster, so she managed to dodge his blows.

"Hmm, not bad." Noir complimented. "But not good enough." Then, something materialized around the man's hand.

It was a metal gauntlet, with very long, claw-shaped fingers that pierced all the way through Bleach's chest, despite the girl's reinforced Ten.

The girl's eyes widened and she felt blood rise in her throat. "S-Son of a…"

Noir harshly removed his hand and the girl fell down. Soon, there was a large puddle of blood beneath her. Bleach felt an acid smirk stretch across her lips as she allowed her eyelids to drop.

_That's fucking it, uh? Dying in a puddle of blood in a lost room in a prison that's lost in the middle of fucking nowhere. What a shitty death. But I guess it fits my crappy life well enough. I wonder… Will that shithead Ging even know that I died? That I died trying to fucking find him? Probably not. Even if he does find out, I doubt he'll even care. The asshole._

_**Stop lamenting yourself, you big baby.**_

Bleach looked around. She, or, more accurately, her mind was in a dark place, surrounded by indigo colored pounds and waterfalls. From the pounds that was right in front of her a midget woman emerged. Her head was far too big for her body, her skin was light grey and covered by dark indigo patterns. Her choppy hair was of the same dark indigo and her impossibly large eyes were of a brighter tone of the colour.

…_What the fuck?_

_**You're getting out of here alive, you hear me, dumbass. I'll make sure of it. **_The midget spoke.

_You're… that voice from many years ago. You came back._

_**I didn't come back, idiot! I was always there, screaming in your head; you just never listened. Who would've guessed that it would take you a near-death experience to hear me again? A friend in need is a friend indeed.**_

_Who's whining now, asshole? _

_**Do you want to live or not?**_

…

_**You've got to be kidding me!**_

_Excuse me if I don't see a fucking reason to keep living anymore. It's not like my life was a sweet ride until now._

_**You big baby! You got out of Meteor City, ran away from the Mafia, overcame your alcoholism, made friends, is close to pass the Hunter Exam and still complain?! You know what? You don't get to decide if you live or die, I'll do it for you and guess what? You live! Now, imagine yourself healthy!**_

The midget's tone was so imperative that Bleach couldn't help but obey.

So, as Noir walked away from Bleach's body, the girl's necklace started to shine slightly, making her wounds heal almost immediately, leaving nothing but some circular scars in her chest.

Bleach raised her head to look at the man walking away from her and, for a moment, the world she saw as made of shades of indigo. Unknown to her, her eyes had changed to the same color.

Since the former bodyguard had his back to the girl, he didn't notice that she was able to heal herself and was now back on her feet. Bleach saw an opportunity and took it.

Without making a sound, the girl enhanced her left hand with Ren and ran towards Noir. The man didn't hear or sense a thing, he just felt the girl's hand pierce his lower back and the reach up until it encircled his heart.

"H-How?"

"I'm just that awesome." Bleach answered, tightening her grip around the muscular organ. "Now die, motherfucker."

With that, Bleach crushed Noir's heart in her hand and allowed the man's body to fall on the floor.

For some minutes, Bleach just stood there, staring at Noir's body with glazed eyes. It was the second time she had killed a person.

"I don't get how you did it so easily." Bleach whispered, cleaning her hand on the front of her hoodie. "Killing, I mean. It's… sickening."

Then, she took her blood-soaked hoodie off and threw it on the floor. Now, her upper body was covered only by a black tank top, which was damp from her own blood and had four little holes on the middle of chest area, where the long fingers of Noir's Nen gauntlet had pierced her. For the first time in her life, Bleach showed to the world the indigo crown pendant she wore around her neck instead of hiding it beneath her clothes.

Bleach took a few steps away from the corpse and towards the exit, but one last glance at the body made her turn back and kneel besides him.

"Goodbye, Noir." The girl said as she slid Noir's eyelids shut. "Send my regards to Nair."

* * *

_**You're soft…**_

_Crap. Please, don't tell me that I'll have to put up with your annoying voice all the time._

**_You spent the last fifteen years wondering about me and my voice, so son't complain, dumbass. And no, you'll just have to 'put up' with me all the time. You won't be able to hear me unless you're thinking about me, like now._**

_Ah! Good. Anyway, where the fuck did that 'you're soft' crap come from?_

_**You dislike killing. That's weird. The rest of the Family never minded it.**_

_I don't know where the fuck did you come from, but, in the human world, we consider killing something bad._

_**I come from the same place as you, dumbass.**_

_So, I come from an ugly as fuck indigo necklace?_

_**You know what I mean, smartass. **_

_Yeah, yeah. Where the fuck did we come from anyway? _

_**A palace, in a cold and isolated region. I don't know how to locate it exactly, though. I never wandered beyond the palace's walls in your human world.**_

_Now, that's fucking helpful._

_**Well, you're the one that doesn't even remember your own family, dumbass!**_

_I have no family. _

_**You do! I told you; you're the chosen one of the Castere family! You're Arysa Castere.**_

_Chosen one, Castere, Arysa… These titles don't mean shit to me. Your 'Family' is fucking dead and Arysa is no more. My name is Bleach; I have no last name and I'm from Meteor City. _

_**Then why did you ask, idiot?**_

_No reason, really._

_**You're so insufferable.**_

_Right back at ya, Ointment._

_**My name isn't Ointment. Just because you are named after a product doesn't mean I am too, dumbass.**_

_What's your fucking name, then?_

_**I'm Namid, the Guardian of Cure.**_

* * *

"Bleach, applicant Number 1, is the fourth to pass. Total time: 17 hours and 40 minutes."

A voice spoke as the white haired girl walked into a circular room. She wasn't surprised to see that Hisoka and Gittarackuru had finished the test already. What did surprise her was to see that she had lost to that shinobi with the girly eyebrows, Hanzo.

"No fucking way…" Bleach complained under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the bald man. "Now, that's a blow to the ego."

With that, Bleach made her way to the wall that was furthest away from the creepy duo, sat down and closed her eyes, determined to get some sleep until Gon and the others arrived.

* * *

Nothing. There were two minutes left for the end of the Third Phase and still no sign of Gon and the others.

"Really, what's taking them so fucking long?" Bleach complained as she paced from one side to the other.

Bleach was annoyed. Annoyed that Gon wasn't there yet. She'd need him to pass the Hunter Exam to help her find Ging's for fuck's sake!

But that wasn't all…

The girl would never admit it to anyone, especially herself, but she was worried that those four wouldn't pass. She liked Gon; he was adorable and reminded her too much of Ging for her not to. Kurapika, Leorio and Killua... well, she didn't like them much, but she had spent the better part of her Hunter Exam with them so far and, though Bleach knew herself to be very selfish, she still hoped they all would pass the Exam. But the thing that was annoying Bleach the most: since when did she fucking care about others?!

The sound of one of the stone doors rising open made Bleach halt her pacing immediately and turn her gaze to it. Three figures walked through the door.

"Kurapika, applicant Number 404, is the 21st to pass. Killua, applicant Number 99, is the 22nd to pass. Gon, applicant Numer 405, is the 23rd to pass. Total time: 71 hours and 59 minutes."

"Gon!" Bleach called as she ran to the smiling boy. "What the fuck took you so long?"

"Mito-san says cursing is bad, Bleach." He scolded, pouting at the girl.

"Yeah, yeah. And where's the old man?"

As soon as those words left Bleach's lips, the interphone voice spoke again as two figures walked towards them.

"Leorio, applicant Number 403 is the 24th to pass. Tonpa, applicant Number 16 is the 25th to pass. Total time: 71 hours and 59 minutes."

Bleach deadpanned. "What the fuck was Tonpa doing with you?"

"Bleach! Mito-san says-"

"No cursing, I know."

* * *

For the Fourth Phase, each participant had to take a sealed plate from a box.

"Everyone has taken a card?" The purple-haired Examiner, Lippo, asked. "Then, you may remove the seal from your card."

Bleach did so, and the card revealed a number to her. 332.

Bleach's eyes made a beeline to the man that held the tag with the number. Her gaze locked on the man for less than a second before she moved it away, though. However, just because Bleach wasn't looking directly at Number 332, it didn't mean that she wasn't watching his every move. If the game was that of cat and mouse, as the examiner said, Bleach was sure that her play would involve that man. The question was, would he be her mouse or her his?

The examiner smiled slightly. "The card indicates your target."

Bleach watched with amusement as her target removed the ID card pinned to his chest and hid it on the inside of his pants, on the area of his left hip bone.

"This box recorded which card each one of you drew. This means that you're free to dispose of the card if you wish." The purple haired examiner continued to explain. "Now, the objective of the Fourth Phase is to steal your target's ID card."

Bleach didn't even try to keep the huge grin from stretching across her face at hearing that. A test of stealing and stealth. Really, this Fourth Phase couldn't be more Bleach-friendly if she had designed it herself.

* * *

After the examiner had finished explaining the last details about the Fourth Phase, all of the participants boarded a little wooden boat that would take them to the phase's site, Zevil Island.

In the boat, a girl tried to reassure everyone that, if they failed this Hunter Exam, they'd be automatically qualified to next year's Exam. Too bad for her that everyone was so tense that they had barely listened to her. After the girl was done talking, everyone stood up to walk around the ship.

Bleach decided to wander around on her own, never allowing Number 332 to disappear from her sight.

A couple of minutes before reaching Zevil Island. Bleach watched as number 332 was about to go down some stairs and started to walk towards him, tossing her card in the air and catching it repeatedly. By the time Bleach reached the stairs, the man had finished climbing them down; it was the perfect opportunity.

"Oh, crap!" Bleach complained loudly when she "accidentally" threw her card with more strength than necessary.

Number 332 turned around to see a desperate-looking white-haired girl leap from the top of the stairs to retrieve her ID card that was flying in the air. She fell down directly on top of him.

"O-Ouch…" Number 332 complained from beneath Bleach.

"I-I'm sorry!" The white-haired girl said, staring down at the man with big, kicked-puppy eyes. "It was an accident. I'm really sorry! D-Did I hurt you?"

Noticing the girl was still on top of him, in a straddling position no less, the man felt a blush spread across his cheeks.

"D-D-Don't worry! I-It was nothing!"

Then, Bleach gave the man a smile that would melt anyone's heart.

"I'm so glad to hear it! You know, I'd never forgive myself if I had hurt such a handsome man."

Then, a voice in the interphone announced that they were about to anchor at Zevil Island.

"Oh, it seems we must go now…" Bleach spoke in a disappointed voice, before giving the man beneath her a shy smile. "I hope we see each other on the next phase, as well."

With that, Bleach jumped up and ran to the boat's exit, leaving a stunned and nose-bleeding ex-Number 332 staring after her, clueless to the fact that the girl had just taken his ID card with her.

And both of them were clueless to the fact that Gittarackuru's eyes watched every second and movement of Bleach's little stunt.

Poor Number 332… lost the Fourth Phase before it had even began.

* * *

Bleach wasted no time. As soon as she got off the ship, she started running in search of a nice hiding spot. She had her six points already, but there would still be someone chasing her and she didn't knew if she was strong enough to defeat her cat. Also, Number 332 wouldn't be clueless forever about the girl taking his plate from him so he'd, undoubtedly, go after her.

It wasn't long before found her ideal hiding spot: a very high tree with branches full of wide, green leaves. Bleach didn't think twice before climbing the tree and hiding among its thick foliage.

All she had to do now was wait for the week to pass by.

"Fuck, that's going to be boring. I wonder who Gon is hunting…"

* * *

The week passed by and, though extremely bored and curious about Gon's situation, Bleach remained safe on her spot. Only a few minutes before the deadline, did she leave the safety of her hiding place to go to the starting point.

As always, Gon wasn't there yet.

"God fucking damn it! Does the boy take pleasure in arriving at the last second or something?" Bleach complained to Killua, arms crossed over her chest. Really, since when did she worry so much about someone? Oh, right; since it was Ging's son we're talking about.

"Bleach!" Gon's scolding voice came from behind. "Mito-san says-"

Bleach grinned at the boy from over her shoulder. "No cursing, I know."

"Gon!" Killua called, giving him a thumbs-up. Gon reciprocated the gesture.

"So!" The girl from the boat, who was checking everyone's tags, began. "These ten applicants have passed the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exam!"

* * *

**And here it is! The second part fo the Hunter Exam. One more and we'll follow to the Zoldyck Family. :)**

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and that I didn't write anyone too OOC... -.-**

**And thank you, Luscinia Evan** **and Zarura Koi, ****for reviewing to the last chapter. :)**

**Anyway, let me know what you all think of this chapter and of how I can improve. ;)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	7. Hunter Exam: The Last Phase

_"So!" The girl from the boat, who was checking everyone's tags, began. "These ten applicants have passed the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exam!"_

* * *

Once again, the participants of the Exam were inside Netero's zeppelin, waiting for something to happen.

Gon, alongside Bleach, Leorio and Kurapika, was standing in front one of the many windows as he told the girl all they had done during the Fourth Phase.

Bleach wasn't happy.

"Are you f- stupid?! You actually went after HISOKA?! That's practically attempting suicide, Gon! Why didn't you get another three cards?" Bleach scolded the boy. "And letting yourself get bitten by snakes only to find an antidote that COULD'VE been there wasn't the smartest decision either! You too, old man! You don't just walk in a fu- cave! It's a trap! Just walking in anywhere is _always _a trap. Don't you watch movies?! God fu- damnit!"

Kurapika couldn't help but smile a little. The girl did care.

After Bleach's uncharacteristic show of concern, the group settled in a comfortable silence as they watched the scenery pass by through the window.

"Pathetic…" Leorio said suddenly. "I needed you two to do everything to me during the Fourth Phase. I promise I'll return the favor. So… thanks."

"How cute. The old man's getting sentimental." Bleach mocked with a smirk.

Leorio glared and pointed a girl at her. "NO ONE ASKED YOU!"

"**I have an announcement for all applicants." **Bean's voice came from the loudspeakers. **"The chairman wishes to interview the remaining candidates. When your number is called, please come to the first reception room, on the second floor. Then, we'll start with Number 44, Hisoka-sama."**

* * *

"Why do you want to become a Hunter?" Netero asked Bleach.

"I wasn't particularly interested in becoming a Hunter when I entered this fucking exam. I just thought that I'd find a clue here to find a certain shithead I'm looking for. But, I must say that the money the Hunter's license will allow me to have is a nice perk."

"I see. Which of the other 9 applicants are you keeping an eye on?"

"Gon, Number 405."

"Which of the 9 other applicants would least want to fight?"

"The fucking creeps: Hisoka, Number 44, and Gittarackuru, number 301."

"And who would you _like _to fight?"

"That'd be Leorio, number 403. Or that brat with the pink thingy on his head, number 53."

"Really?" Clearly, that was an answer Netero didn't expect. "Why's that?"

Bleach shrugged. "They seem to be the weakest."

* * *

The last 10 applicants of the Hunter Exam were taken to a large arena, inside of a luxurious hotel for the Final Phase of the Hunter Exam.

"For the Final Phase, we'll be holding a one-on-one tournament." Netero explained as he pulled a sheet from the board that held the bracket for the fights.

Bleach's jaw dropped. "What the fu- hell? This bracket is completely bizarre!"

"Pretty impressive, no?" The Chairman asked.

"Bizarre and impressive don't mean the same thing, old man."

* * *

The first fight was between Gon and Hanzo.

Bleach watched with wide eyes as the shinobi with the girly eyebrows easily dodged from Gon's quick leap and delivered a painful blow on the boy's neck. The shinobi then procceded to beat the crap out of the boy.

Bleach's eyes widened even more as Gon refused to give up and just took all the blows Hanzo delivered.

The beating came to a point that Kurapika and Leorio almost barged in the fight. It was easy to see that both were extremely worried, but Bleach managed to keep them from interfering.

"If you do anything, Gon loses, you fucking idiots!"

Then, Hanzo broke Gon's left arm. Bleach wasn't so sure she'd be able to stop those two without a fight. Hell, she wasn't sure _she_ wouldn't walk into the arena and put and end to that shit herself.

"Control yourselves!"

"Don't try to stop us, Bleach." Leorio said somberly.

"I know you two are fucking pissed - believe me, I am too - but you can't interfere! If you do that, all of Gon's efforts in that fucking fight won't mean shit, you hear me? Get a grip and sit down! Hanzo isn't going to kill Gon!" Then, Bleach's voice got louder. "As a matter of fact, I bet anyone 20.000 jenny that Gon is going to win that fucking fight!"

Pokkle, Gitarackuru, Menchi and Lippo took that bet.

At the end of the fight, Bleach was 80.000 jenny richer. Or, you know, less poor.

* * *

The second fight was between Hanzo and Bleach. Before entering the arena, the girl concentrated herself so she could talk to Namid.

_Hey, Namid, can you do that instantaneous healing shit again?_

_**Only if you stop cursing.**_

_Not you too…_

_**It's my condition.**_

_Fine._

_**Alright, then. Just imagine yourself healed that I'll take care of the rest. But, know that my healing powers have a limit, so try not to get near-death two times in a row, alright, dumbass?**_

_Deal. I'll only need it one time, anyway._

Bleach knew that Hanzo was strong; she knew that, if Ging hadn't taught her Nen, she'd most likely lose to the shinobi. But, thing is, she did have a grasp on the basic of Nen so, even if she wasn't physically strong enough to defeat Hanzo, she could easily use Ten to protect herself from any damage, and Ren to beat the living shit out of the shinobi.

The problem would be if the man decided to be as stubborn as Gon and not give up, in hopes of dealing a hit strong enough to make some damage.

But, if the damage simply disappeared… Well, that'd surely crush Hanzo's hopes of winning.

So, when the fight began, Bleach didn't move; she just watched Hanzo run towards her with his blade ready to strike. The blade hit her shoulder, cutting it rather deeply, but the girl didn't as much as flinch; instead, she gave the shinobi a grin that could rival Hisoka's in the matter of creepiness.

Wary and confused, Hanzo jumped back. The shinobi had barely set his feet on the floor again and Bleach's wound was already healing. Everyone's eyes widened at the display. Everyone's but Lippo's, who had watched the girl's healing ability during her fight in Trick Tower.

"How is that possible?!" Hanzo demanded, pointing an accusing finger at his opponent.

"I'm just that awesome." Bleach answered with a shrug. "Now, care to try again? And again, and again, and again…? You can have as many goes as you want; I have all fucking day."

_Please, say no. That cut hurt as fuck!_

With a sigh, Hanzo sheathed his blade and shook his hand. "There'd be no point. Unlike Number 405, I know when I can't win." Then, the shinobi turned his head to the judge. "I forfeit."

_Score!_

* * *

The third match was between Hisoka and Kurapika.

"Believe it or not; I'll miss you, Kurapika." Bleach spoke. "By the way, may I keep those fucking sticks you carry around? They're quite pretty for a weapon."

"Shut up, dumbass!" Leorio scolded before turning to Kurapika with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

And, surprisingly, he was. Hisoka just roughed Kurapika up a little bit, whispered something in his ear and forfeited.

* * *

Hanzo and Pokkle fought the fourth round. To Kurapika and Leorio's disappointment and Bleach's annoyance, Hanzo won.

* * *

In the fifth match, Hisoka beat the old geezer, Bodoro, quite easily.

* * *

Killua was put against Pokkle for the sixth match and gave up almost immediately.

Bleach didn't like it.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, brat?! That match was practically handed to you in a silver plate!"

Pokkle didn't like hearing that. "Hey!"

"Oh, shut up! You know it's true!" Bleach snapped before turning back to scold Killua. "So? What the fuck do you have to say about that?"

"I'm not interested in fighting him." Killua answered uninterested.

"What? You honestly think you'll win the next fight?" The white-haired girl demanded, pointing to Gittarackuru. "You're going to face that creep, you shithead!"

Killua smirked. "Why so worried?"

"I'm not! I'm just annoyed as fuck at how dumb and inconsequential you are! And at your snobby, stuck-up attitude!"

"Whatever you say, softy."

* * *

The seventh fight was between Gittarackuru and Killua.

"Don't worry, Bleach." Kurapika reassured. "Killua is strong; he'll be fine."

"Che! I'm not worried." Bleach denied, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Killua walk towards the creepy pincushion with narrowed yes. "As a matter of fact, I think that a nice beating is going to do that brat some fucking good. It's time for him to get off his high horse."

Both opponents were facing each other.

"Hajime!"

The match began.

"It has been a long time, Killu." Gittarackuru spoke as he started to remove the needles from his head and neck.

Bleach watched with wide eyes as the man's hair turned black and longer – and so fucking silky! - and as his face started to contort and distort, transforming itself in something much softer and prettier. That man… everything about him, from his silky, long hair, to his delicate features, to his big and black eyes… It was all so…

"So fucking androgynous…" Bleach breathed out before turning to Hisoka. "You're friends with Gittarackuru. Is… eh… _it_ a very feminine man or an extremely manly woman?"

"We're really not that close, but, as far as I know, he is a he~." Hisoka answered. "And I guess I can tell you now, Soap-"

"Bleach."

"-his name isn't Gittarackuru."

"What the fuck?"

"Shh. Just watch."

Bleach turned her gaze back to Killua and Gitta- the man. The boy's eyes were wide in a mix of shock and fear as just one word passed through his lips.

"Aniki."

Blech's eyes widened even more as they darted from Killua to his brother and back repeatedly. There was no fucking way they were brothers; they were nothing alike!

"Killua's brother?" Leorio asked in shock to no one in particular.

"I guess being a pain in the ass runs in the family." Bleach commented, trying to hide her own surprise.

"I heard that you cut Mom and Milluki." Git- Killua's brother commented in a voice much softer than before, but just as emotionless. "Mom was crying."

"Anyone would cry if their son did that to them!" Leorio spoke.

"Tears of joy."

Leorio fell face down on the floor. Kurapika and Bleach had to hold themselves not to do the same. Apparently, craziness ran in the family as well.

"She was so happy to see how much you had grown. But she was worried about you leaving home, so she asked me to check up on you." Killua's brother commented. "What a coincidence. I didn't know you wanted to be a Hunter. I'm trying to get a license for my next job."

"In truth…" Killua began. "I don't really want to be a Hunter. I just felt like taking the exam."

"I see… That's a relief." Then, a dark aura started to envelope Killua's brother's body. An aura that made Nair's face spring to Bleach's mind.

"That man is dangerous. Killua better give up. Fast." The white-haired girl spoke to no one in particular, narrowing her eyes at Killua's brother as he resumed talking.

"Then I have some advice for you. You're not cut out to be a Hunter; you were born to be a killer. You are a puppet of darkness, with no passion. You don't want anything or wish for anything. As one who lives in the shadows, you can only feel pleasure when people die. That's how Dad and I raised you."

Bleach wasn't angry. Oh no, Bleach was seething. Not because she was protective of Killua - she wasnt, alright! she wasn't! - but because his brother reminded her too much of her time with the Mafia, when she had to do whatever she was told to do, and always with Nair or Noir breathing down her neck to make sure she did her job right.

Besides the examiners, only Hisoka and Kurapika noticed how the white-haired girl clenched her jaw and fists in barely suppressed anger. No doubt, if she had any delusions about being as strong as Killua's brother, she'd be punching the living shit out of him already, but, unfortunately for the jester, Bleach knew better and kept herself still, watching the exchange between the brothers with narrowed eyes.

That is, until Leorio interrupted with his loud voice, as usual.

"Killua! I don't give a damn if he's your brother, he's a worthless piece of crap! Don't listen to him! Just beat the crap out of him as usual and win! You want to become friends with Gon? You idiot! You already are friend! I'm sure that's how Gon feels!"

If looks could kill, Bleach would've murdered Leorio ten times over.

"The only idiot here is you, old man!" The girl spat out, pulling Leorio down harshly by the front of his shirt. "Are you fucking trying to get Gon in danger? Because what you just did was wiggle him in front of that creep's eyes with a nice fucking ribbon and a note that says _Hey, I'm the reason your baby brother won't come home! Feel like killing me, yet?_"

"Calm down!" Kurapika scolded, pushing Bleach and Leorio apart. "Gon isn't the only one in danger, Bleach. Right now, Killua is the one that needs our help the most."

"I fucking know that!" Bleach snapped before crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head to the side. "But Ging's son comes first. Always. And, now, that creep's going to want to murder him!"

"Okay! I'll kill Gon." Killua's brother settled, as if he had just had an epiphany.

"I fucking told you so!" Bleach yelled but everyone was so surprised by Killua's brother's words that no one paid attention to her.

"A killer doesn't need any friends. They'll only slow you down." The man resumed speaking with that dark aura around him as he turned to walk towards the door. "Where is Gon?"

"P-Please, wait." The judge pleaded, but all Killua's brother did was to throw some needles on his face and repeat the question.

"Where is Gon?"

To Bleach's shock, the judge's face distorted and he actually answered the pin cushion's question. To Bleach's even greater shock, Kurapika, Leorio and Hanzo ran to the door and blocked it.

"H-Hey, wait for me, you shitheads!"

* * *

In the end, Killua gave up. But not before his brother had managed to break him.

"Killua." Bleach called, walking to the boy, but never turning her glaring eyes from his brother. "Don't worry, kid, you'll get away from that shitty brother someday. I managed to run from worse."

Killua didn't react.

Noticing that, no matter what she said, she wouldn't be able to get Killua out of his trance, Bleach walked away from the boy, leaving the fruitless task of consoling him up to Kurapika and Leorio.

"What's your fucking name, anyway?" Bleach demanded of Killua's brother as she walked up to him.

"Mine?" The man echoed, pointing at himself with a stupid expression on his face that made Bleach want to punch him. Repeatedly. "Well, since you and I have some common acquaintances, I guess it is only polite for me to introduce myself properly. My name is Illumi Zoldyck and I'm Killua's eldest brother."

"Good, now I know what to write on your fucking grave when Killua murders you."

"Oh? And what should I write on yours when Killu gets through with you? Since, you know, Bleach isn't a real name."

Bleach's eyebrow twitched at the last comment but, other than that, she ignored it. "That's not going to happen, shithead."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because the brat is better than that." Then, though still glaring pitchforks at Illumi, Bleach gave him an acid smirk. "Also, you taught him not to pick fights he can't win."

"Hehehe~! Soap is getting bolder and bolder. " Hisoka cut in before Illumi could answer, laying his forearm on the white-haired girl's head and using it as support for his weight.

"It's Bleach! God fucking damn it."

* * *

The seventh fight was supposed to be between Leorio and Bodoro.

Supposed to, because, before it had even began, Killua materialized behind Bodoro and shoved his hand through his chest, taking his heart out.

Kurapika, Leorio and Bleach watched everything with wide eyes, not quite believing in what had just happened. Well, maybe Killua wasn't better than that after all; maybe Bleach should start sleeping with an eye open.

"Well, the brat snapped." The white-haired girl stated in an inadequate light tone, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Killua storm off the room.

"No." Kurapika spoke from besides her. "I think his brother is the responsible."

"What? How could he-" Then, the image of the judge telling Illumi where Gon was popped in Bleach's mind. Indeed, Illumi could control people at his will. "But he didn't throw those fucking needles at Killua."

"Maybe he doesn't need needles to control people; maybe they're just a way to enhance his power."

"Che, that's just… Actually, that makes a lot of sense. Crap! Why didn't I think of it before?"

"Honestly, don't you care at all for Killua?" The blonde snapped, glaring at the girl. "How can you behave so lightly after all of this?"

"What's the fucking point in worrying about the brat?" Bleach asked. "There isn't shit I can do about it now. But, when Gon wakes up, I'm sure he'll want to go after the shithead and, until I find Ging, I'm following Gon."

"Now, that's just…"

"Just what?"

"Just nothing. Your words actually make sense."

* * *

Said and done. As soon as Gon woke up in the infirmary and heard from Satotsu what had happened, he stomped towards the classroom in which the rest of the just approved Hunters were.

From her place besides Kurapika, Bleach watched with curious eyes as the boy marched towards Illumi.

"Apologize to Killua." Gon demanded, standing by the sitting man.

"Apologize? For what?" Illumi asked and Bleach groaned. Of course, Illumi would play dumb; and he was annoyingly good at it.

"You don't know what you did wrong?" Gon asked.

"No." That word was spoken in such an uncaring way… it angered Gon. A lot.

"You don't have the right to be his brother."

Illumi turned his emotionless eyes away from Gon. "Must I earn the right to be his older brother?"

That was it. Gon grabbed Illumi's forearm and pulled the man from his place roughly. Really, Ging's son was very strong; he managed to raise Illumi in the air with just one arm without even using Nen.

"He doesn't need to earn the right to be my friend, either!" Then, Gon tightened his grip on Illumi's arm so much it broke the bone.

"No fucking way…" Bleach breathed out, amazed at the boy's sheer strength.

"Don't bother apologizing." Gon stated, now in a much calmer voice and stance. "Just take me to see Killua."

"And what will you do?" Illumi asked in that uncaring voice of his, as if he didn't just have his right forearm broken.

"That's obvious. I'm going to rescue him!"

* * *

After much discussion in the room, everyone agreed that Illumi had indeed manipulated Killua in killing Bodoro and returning home but that didn't matter to the Hunter Exam. So, it was settled that everyone in that room would receive their Hunter's license.

After that, they were free to go.

"The perks of this piece o- license are incredible!" Bleach spoke with awe as she observed her card.

"Indeed, they'll be quite useful." Kurapika agreed.

"Like, to find out where Killua's family lives, no?" Beach suggested, giving Gon a meaningful smirk.

"Huh? You're coming too, Bleach?"

"Gon, I won't stop nagging you until we find that sh- Ging." She answered, crossing her arms behind her head. "Also, I don't think I'm the only one that'll tag along on this little quest. Blondie and the old man seem awfully excited about it."

Then, Gon's bright eyes turned to Kurapika and Leorio, who were just behind him and Bleach.

Leorio stopped glaring at Bleach for a second to give Gon a reassuring smile. "You bet."

Kurapika just smiled softly and nodded.

With that settled, the four of them made their way to Illumi, to demand Killua's whereabouts from him.

"Gittarackuru." Gon called, getting the pin cushion to turn around and face him. "Tell me where Killua is."

"Are you really going to take him away?" The man asked back, bored.

"Are you really going to beat around the bush?" Bleach retorted, annoyed.

"I think that's a bad idea." Illumi continued, completely ignoring Bleach's words.

"I don't care what you think!" Gon yelled. "Killua is my friend. I'm definitely taking him with me."

"Do they feel the same way?" Illumi asked, refereeing to Kurapika, Leorio and Bleach.

"Of course not. We're just standing here and losing time because we really like hearing your robotic voice." Bleach answered in a sickening sweet voice with a soft smile on her face, before narrowing her eyes and raising her voice exasperatedly. "Of course we feel the same way, shi- dumbass!"

Illumi stared at the girl's narrowed eyes for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to Gon. Bleach had to hold back a sigh of relief at that. It was disturbing to look directly into Illumi's eyes for too long; it was as if they sucked your hopes and dreams out of you.

"Fine." Killua's brother agreed at last. "I doubt you'll make it there anyway. Killua went home, to Kukuroo Mountain. Our family lives at the very top."

"Understood. Thank you." Gon spoke.

Bleach couldn't help but face-palm. "Gon... You don't thank jackasses like Illumi."

* * *

"I can't fucking believe it…" Bleach grumbled to herself before raising her voice. "WHY ARE WE RUNNING TO THE AIRPORT WHEN WE COULD JUST SIT BACK AND RELAX IN THE TAXI?!"

Leorio grumbled in agreement to the girl.

"Don't complain, Bleach." Kurapika spoke amusedly. "We've ran much more not even two weeks ago, in the First Phase."

"I guess you're right." Leorio agreed with the blond. "This is nothing compared to the Hunter Exam."

"But that's exactly why I want to sit back in the taxi! I think I deserve some rest after all we went trough in that exam!"

"But the traffic is too intense to just _sit back in the taxi_; we'd lose our flight to Padokea."

"We could get the next one!"

"Ne, Bleach!" Gon called with a big smile, slowing down so he was running besides the girl. "The sooner we get in the plane, the sooner we'll see Killua!"

Bleach deadpanned. "I'm so thrilled."

"Me too!"

"Gon, on our airship ride, I'm teaching you about sarcasm."

"Alright!" The boy agreed innocently, grabbing Bleach's hand and pulling her to run faster with him. "Let's go, then! YAHOO!"

* * *

**Not much happening here... Still, hope you enjoyed the chapter. ****If you have the time, tell me what you think about it. :)**

**Also, the next update may take a little longer to be posted. Sorry... **

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	8. The Zoldyck Family: Getting In

Bleach was playing with the sleeves of her new, skin-tight, black turtleneck. She, alongside Gon, Kurapika and Leorio, was riding the bus to Kukuroo Mountain.

Three days ago, as soon as the four of them got into the airship to fly to Padokea, the first thing Bleach did was to replace her tore up tank top for the turtleneck. Also, since the turtleneck didn't have deep pockets like her hoodie did, she bought a black backpack. The girl liked having a place to store things; things that didn't necessarily belong to her, like that an man's Rolex wristwatch and the money inside a lady's Louis Vuitton purse.

Padokea seemed to be a nice country to live in, Bleach decided as she watched the scenery pass her by. The small town where they took the bus was clean, organized and full of kind people, the road they were on now was very nice and smooth and the view around was simply beautiful: green hills and valleys as far as the eye could see. Killua could've had a great time growing up in a place like that, had it not been for… you know, the family of crazy assassins that forced him to kill people.

"Thank you for taking the Lamentation Tour today!" The bus' guide began in a cheerful voice as if she was talking about the Tour of Rainbows and Bunnies. "We will be visiting Kukuroo Mountain, home to the famous Zoldyck family of assassins."

Bleach frowned. So, the Government knew that assassins lived on one of their mountains and, instead of doing something about it, they turned them into the place's main touristic attraction?

Suddenly, living in Padokea didn't seem so nice anymore…

* * *

The bus dropped Gon's party and the rest of the tourists at the front gate of the Zoldyck estate. And, it was massive!

"This gate is also known as the Doors to Hades, because no one who has entered never returned alive!" The guide spoke in that cheerful voice of hers - not at all appropriated when talking about many people's deaths. Then, she motioned to normal-sized wooden double doors that were on the lower corner of the gates, by a small cabin. "To enter the place, you must pass through the doors besides the security checkpoint. But, since the area behind the gates is private property, we can't proceed!"

"WHAT?!" Leorio and Bleach exclaimed in indignation, and the man proceeded. "But the mountain is all the way over there!"

"Correct, the Zoldyck own the whole Kukuroo Mountain as well as the surrounding area." The guide explained.

Bleach whistled. "Man, Killua's family is loaded."

"Hey, guide…" Gon called. "What do we have to do to get inside?"

"Little boy, weren't you listening to me? If you get inside, you won't leave the place alive!"

"It's a sham." A rough-looking fat man, accompanied by a skinny rough-looking man, spoke as he walked to the wooden double doors.

Bleach raised an eyebrow at those two men, who were obviously going to break in the Zoldyck estate and get themselves killed. Their idea would be good though – for her, that is; their stupidity would give her and the others some idea of what they would face in there.

* * *

After those two assaulted the security guard, stormed though the wooden doors and got themselves killed, as predicted, a hand, enormous and hairy, threw their skeletons out of the gate. As any person with an ounce of common sense would do in such a situation, the tourists scurried to the bus in fear and left the place.

But, since Gon's party was composed by people with no common sense whatsoever, it stayed to talk with the guard and explain why they were there.

"So, you're friends of Master Killua." The guard stated as he served everyone green tea. "I'm happy to hear that. I've worked here for twenty years, but this is the first time any friends have come to visit. Since I work here, I shouldn't say this, but his place is rather lonely. No one ever visits."

"I wonder why." Bleach commented with a sarcastic smirk, earning herself a glare from Kurapika and an elbow jab on the ribs from Leorio. "Ouch! Asshole."

"But we do get a lot of those." The guard continued, pointing to the two thugs' skeletons that were inside a large trashcan behind him. "Well, a family of assassins is pretty unusual so I suppose it's the price they have to pay…

Bleach rolled her eyes. "Poor assassins. Life must be so hard on them..."

Leorio jabbed her again, glaring at her.

"Do that again and I'm going to jab your nose into your skull." Bleach threatened, returning the glare.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're here." The guard concluded. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Leorio reassured, morphing his angry expression into a good-naturedly smile.

"However, I can't let you enter." The guard said, surprising everyone. "You saw it, didn't you? That enormous paw that threw the bandits out. That belonged to Mike, the guard dog of the Zoldycks."

"Guard _dog_?" Bleach echoed, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "It's more like a guard titan."

"Yes, and it obeys only the orders of the Zoldycks. For ten years, it has loyally obeyed the orders of its masters, which can be resumed in killing intruders." The guard explained. "I can't let you enter."

The wheels turned in Kurapika's head. "Tell me, Guardian-san, why are you unharmed? You can enter, can't you? Otherwise, why would you have the key?"

"Good remark." The guardian sipped his tea. "But, you're only half-right. To enter, I don't use that key; that key is only for intruders."

Bleach furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. A key for intruders? That didn't make sense. Unless they wanted the thugs to enter the mountain area and get themselves killed by Mike; in which case, Killua's family was even more sadistic than she anticipated.

Then, the guardian explained that his job wasn't to guard the entrance, but clean up Mike's mess.

"On the real door there is no lock!" Kurapika concluded at the end of the guardian's explanation.

Bleach rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridic-"

"Exactly." The guardian confirmed.

"…" Bleach glared at the blonde. "I hate how you're always right."

* * *

"ARGH! I pull! I push! To the left! To the right! It doesn't open!" Leorio complained loudly, as he still tried to open the gates.

"That's only because you're weak." The guardian explained simply as he removed his coat and walked towards the gates. "This gate's nicknames are Doors of Verification and Testing Gate. The ones that can't open it don't have the required qualities to enter into the Zoldycks' domain."

Bleach's eyes widened as she felt the guardian's aura spike and she quickly activated Gyo. Sure enough, the guardian was using Ren to increase his upper body's strength, what allowed him to open the gates that Leorio couldn't even bulge. Then, he let go of said gates and them closed almost immediately.

"As you can see, the gates close automatically. Once they're open, you have to enter without pausing." The guardian spoke as put his coat back on. "Don't attack people that enter through the Doors of Verification; that's the order given to Mike."

"How much do they weight?" Bleach asked, staring at the doors with narrowed eyes.

"Each of the first doors is two tons."

"Normally, no one can push such…" Leorio trailed off as the wheels turned in his head. "Wait. Did you say first doors?"

"Yes." The guardian confirmed with a nod. "Look, you can see that there is a total of 7 pairs of doors. The weight doubles each time the size changes."

"WHAT?!" Bleach and Leorio exclaimed at the same time.

"They were built so that we open the one corresponding to our strength."

"Very well!" Bleach put in, marching towards the doors as she pulled her sleeves to her elbows. "I'll open them."

"Hahahahahaha!" Leorio laughed, making the girl glare at him from over her shoulder. "Sorry, girly, but with this skinny arms, you won't be able to open even the key's door."

"Just watch, old man."

Bleach took a deep breath and did the same as the guardian: using Ren, she concentrated her aura on her upper body. The guardian watched the girl with anticipation; it had been a long time since a Nen user had come to the Zoldyck estate. Maybe, she'd be able to get in.

Gritting her teeth, Bleach laid her hands on the Testing Gate. Sure, she wasn't particularly strong, physically, but, using Nen, she should be able to open a couple of fucking doors. If that old geezer could do it, she could too!

And so, she pushed.

And pushed. And pushed. And pushed…

* * *

175 and three-quarters 'And pushed' later...

_**Really, that isn't going to work…**_

_Wait a minute, the door bulged! _

_**One miser millimeter, dumbass! Give up; you're too weak.**_

_I can fucking do it! There's no way I'm going to give the old man something to rub on my nose! I will open this fucking door!_

* * *

She didn't.

Bleach did manage to move the doors a few millimeters apart, but nothing even close to allowing a person to pass through. Actually, even a little leaf had to squeeze to pass through the doors.

Laying her hands on her knees and breathing heavily, the girl glared at the doors with all her hate. If only looks could explode doors!

"Told you couldn't do it." Leorio stated with a big grin on his face, making Bleach turn her glare from the gate to him.

"Don't rub it in, Leorio." Kurapika stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "She did better than you."

"WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON?!"

"How the fu- hell did Killua open this gate?" Bleach demanded of the guardian as she stood up.

"Actually, Master Killua opened three gates when he returned home."

"WHAT?!" Bleach and Leorio exclaimed at the same time. Again. Bleach scowled; it was the third time that she and Leorio spoke the same at the same time. They were too synchronized for her taste._  
_

"It's 12 tons!" Gon said, impressed.

"Er… It's 16 tons, Gon." Kurapika corrected.

"You understand, now? To enter the Zoldyck domain, you must have some abilities." The guardian spoke. "Their world is different than yours."

"Sir, lend me your keys." Gon asked, surprising everyone. "I must pass a test only to see my friend… I think being an intruder fits me better."

Bleach thanked all of the gods she didn't believe in that the guardian refused to give Gon the key. Instead, he offered to call the Zoldyck's attendants.

* * *

After the guardian - Zeburo, they discovered his name was – called the Zoldycks' attendants and after Gon called (and screamed at) the Zoldycks attendants, Gon decided to do something stupid and try to climb up the gates.

"Gon! Get down, right FUCKING now!"

"Bleach, Mito-san says i-"

"What?! I can't FUCKING hear you! You'll FUCKING have to come down from that SHITTY gate to FUCKING speak to me, Gon!"

"Ne, that won't work, Bleach!" The boy responded as he continued to climb. "I'm still going to see Killua!"

"Nothing to do…" Zeburo breathed out before raising his voice. "Gon! I'm giving you the keys! With these, you'll be able to pass through the door."

Bleach wiped her head to stare at the guardian with wide eyes. "What the fuck?!"

"Sir! Wait! We'll make him forget this crazy idea!" Kurapika tried.

"Really? Gon seems very stubborn." Zeburo commented. "I'm compensation, I'll pass through the intruders' door with you all. If I go, there is a small chance that Mike will remember me and won't kill us. Well, you can be almost 100% sure he'll kill us, but…"

"Why don't you just open the Doors of Verification for us?" Bleach suggested with an innocent smile on her face. "This way, we all live and Gon gets to see Killua."

"No."

Bleach dropped her head in defeat.

"Actually…"

Bleach's head shot back up. "Yes?"

"Gon, you like animals, right?" Zeburo asked.

"Y-Yes."

"There's no doubting it; you spent your life playing on the country-side, didn't you?"

"Yep. How did you know?"

"Guys, I'll reopen the Doors of Verification. Gon, this time, look at Mike's face."

* * *

One look at the Zoldycks' pet was enough to convince Gon to give up his idea of infiltrating the assassins' estate. So, Gon's party decided to enter it through the "correct" way: opening the Doors of Verification. And, to do that, they would train hard, under Zeburo's tutelage.

It wall began with 50kg vests, 20kg tea cups and 500kg doors. It was hell to everyone. But, thanks to that small hell, 20 days later, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio and Bleach were able to open the firs doors of the Testing Gate.

* * *

"We did it!" Gon exclaimed as they ran inside the Zoldyck's estate.

Their happiness wasn't lengthy; as soon as the doors closed behind them, Bleach opened her mouth:

"Guys, I'm going ahead. I want you to wait for me here."

"What?!" The three let out in unison.

"You don't honestly think that Mike is the sole defense of the Zoldyck, right?" Bleach asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm pretty sure we'll meet more dangerous obstacles ahead and I want to size them up before we head-dive into a fight."

"Ne, Bleach, don't you think that'll consume too much time?" Gon asked.

"This guys are serious sh- stuff, Gon. I really don't want you risking your life recklessly in a fight against them."

"Going on your own is pretty reckless, as well." Kurapika scolded.

"Don't worry, Blondie. I'm pretty good at stealth." Bleach spoke with a cocky smirk on her lips. "Actually, when I was younger, my job depended almost solely on stealth and, let me tell you, I was the best."

"Oh, really?" Leorio asked, unconvinced.

Widening her smirk, Bleach raised the man's knife in front of her face. "Really."

Leorio's eyes widened and he started to search his empty pockets. "What the-?! When d- How did-" Then, a scowl made its ways to his lips as he harshly grabbed the knife from the girl's hand.

"Trust me, guys." Bleach said with a reassuring smile. "It'll be safer this way."'

Then, she disappeared in the forest's shadows.

* * *

Of course, none of the boys listened to Bleach, after all, she wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box. Also, Gon wanted to see Killua. Now.

So, they moved forward, until they met Kanaria, one of the Zoldycks' butlers.

"Leave." She stated simply.

The three saw that she was strong, probably stronger than they were, but they wouldn't turn back now.

Still, Kurapika couldn't help but wonder if it would have been better if they had waited for Bleach to return with some data about the place before proceeding.

* * *

**Originally, this chapter covered the whole Zoldyck Family arc, but I thought it was too long, so I split it in two. **

**Next chapter we get to see what Bleach did during the invasion on the Zoldyck estate. :)**


End file.
